If I Fell
by anAnomaLy
Summary: Seventh year wasn't quite turning out as planned. Lily Evans had always hoped she'd be Head Girl someday, but she never thought she'd be working with James Potter, and she certainly never thought she'd find herself falling for the mischievous young man.
1. A Chance Meeting

Disclaimer: anAnomaLy owns neither Harry Potter nor the Beatles; they're used here in play.

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Seldom was the once-colorful street of Diagon Alley so wholly deserted. On a normal day, the narrow cobblestone way was packed with students and parents purchasing school supplies or new robes, witches and wizards of all sorts haggling over the prices of kelpie manes or spellbooks. Strange and wondrous smells filled the air on days when the shops' doors were propped open to invite would-be customers inside. Diagon Alley was a place of wonder for those new to the fantastical world of magic, and a nice reprieve for those who lived a life of secrecy within the neighborhoods of Muggle Britain.

However, the sun had been absent for over a week. A chill breeze swirled bits of trash and torn parchment into corners. The paint on many shops' eaves was chipped, and more than one storefront was boarded up: a testament to the protective spells that waited just inside. Shops whose business had survived the sudden decrease in customers thanks to the war seemed dimly lit, as if the shopkeepers were so certain of poor earnings that their efforts were restricted to the slightest possible.

Of course not every store in Diagon Alley was empty today. Hogwarts students would be boarding the Hogwarts Express tomorrow for the start of another school year, which meant that, war or no war, school things had to be purchased. Madame Malkin's, for example, seemed to be doing well. Her small, but brightly lit shop boasted a whopping four customers, although one of them did not seem to wish to be there.

"Mum, I really don't need new robes. I swear I haven't grown an inch," James Potter protested as he was unceremoniously pushed up onto the measuring stool by his mother. Marla Potter's short stature was evidently disproportionate to her strength of will. Her son had been opposed to the idea of being fitted for new robes ever since she had first mentioned it, but not a single one of his protests or suggested alternative activities had swayed her. And, truth be told, he had indeed grown about four inches in the past year.

"Oh stop fidgeting, James. The sooner you stand still, the sooner it will be over," Marla replied, unperturbed, then turned round and waved Madame Malkin over to begin taking measurements.

As the seamstress and her enchanted measuring tape began bustling around him, James sighed and closed his eyes, recognizing defeat. He didn't particularly mind a trip to Diagon Alley, as most of the shops were filled with wacky new magical creations, but Madame Malkin's was a different story. James Potter was an easy-going, good-natured lad who was usually able to find humor in anything, but even he could find nothing amusing about buying new robes. Still, as much as he hated being here, he knew that the sooner he cooperated, the sooner he could leave, so James stood as still as possible and stared vacantly in the direction of the door. His mother and the seamstress' conversation over the new styles of men's robes faded into a dull babble as his mind began to wander.

He was in the process of planning which plays to run in the first Quidditch practice of the year when a flash of long, dark red hair caught his eye and his mind jolted back to earth. There was only one thing that James Potter found more interesting than Quidditch, and she had just walked through the door of Madame Malkin's store. For a split second, he froze, his gaze fixed on the redhead's back. Had she seen him yet? Merlin, he hoped not. Although he was infinitely glad, as always, to catch a glimpse of the object of his affections, somehow James did not think that standing on a wooden stool with two women and a tape measure buzzing around him was the most flattering situation in which to have a conversation with the girl he had been trying to impress for the past three years.

Before he could contemplate the potential merits and drawbacks of calling out a greeting, Madame Malkin, who had heard the ringing of the bell as her shop door opened, waved to her new customers and called out, "I'll be with you in a moment." Her greeting caused the two women at the door to turn around, and James immediately dropped his gaze to the ground as he tried desperately to look anywhere but at the redhead who must surely have recognized him by now.

When he did look up again, a few moments later, she was not staring, nor had she stormed out of the shop. Instead, she and the woman with her (who James presumed to be her mother) were on the other side of the little shop, perusing what looked to be dress robes. Relieved, he emitted a small sigh. Before he could think on it anymore, he realized his measurements were finished, and his mother was trying to ask him if he wanted his new robes lined with black or maroon silk. "Er… maroon, I s'pose," he answered, sneaking another glance over towards the dress robes section. She still hadn't turned around. Perhaps she hadn't recognized him then.

James' assumption, however, was incorrect. Lily _had_ recognized him the minute she and her mother had entered the shop. She had merely chosen not to do anything about it because she wasn't sure exactly what to do. At school, Lily Evans and James Potter were not on the best of terms, but their paths had never crossed outside of Hogwarts. Although she didn't know quite how to greet him outside of school, she did know that her mother, who was always interested to know anything about her daughter's mysterious other life, would jump at the chance to meet a pure-blooded wizard. This was a situation she wanted to avoid, so as she and her mother browsed through the selection of dress robes, Lily was busy ignoring the fact that Potter was only a few meters away and, if she knew him at all, probably staring at her back. Or, more likely, her arse.

"What about this one?" she asked, grasping the shoulder of a midnight blue robe and pulling it a few inches out from the rack so that her mother could examine it.

"Ohhh, what a beautiful shade of blue. I like it," Betsy Evans responded, an approving smile on her face.

"Me too," Lily agreed, pulling the robe in question from the rack and holding it up to herself as she turned to examine her reflection in the nearby mirror.

"It flatters your coloring quite nicely dear," said the shopkeeper as she approached the Evans women. "Shall we get it fitted then or do you wish to continue browsing?"

"Oh no, I'll take this one," Lily answered. She and Betsy then followed Madame Malkin over to the stool that James had recently vacated. This was one of her favorite things about shopping for wizard clothing. There was no need to try on an item and hope that it would fit. You simply chose the style of dress, skirt, shirt or pants that pleased you and, with a few charms from the seamstress, it could be magically fitted to your exact shape. Handing the robe to her mother, Lily stepped up onto the stool as Madame Malkin began taking her measurements.

While she watched the measurement process, Betsy Evans took a seat on the bench below the shop window and said, "I think we ought to get you a new set of school robes, too, Lily."

"Really, Mum, you don't need to," her daughter protested, "It isn't as though I've grown any. My old robes are fine."

"Oh nonsense, dear. They're looking a bit worn now," Betsy said, then added with a teasing twinkle in her eye. "Besides, you need some fresh new robes to go with that shiny Head Girl badge of yours."

"Mum….," Lily half-hissed, half-muttered, her cheeks flushing with the embarrassment that all children suffer when their parents feel compelled to brag about them in public. Her eyes darted around the shop as if to ascertain that no one else had heard. Fortunately, the only person who seemed to be paying attention was Potter, who was walking towards them from the direction of the changing rooms, now dressed in the robes he had been fitted for a few minutes earlier.

James actually had not heard the exchange between mother and daughter. He had been too busy fiddling with the clasp of his robes, which did not seem to want to fasten. _His_ mother, though, had heard the Evans' conversation, and she was now glancing surreptitiously between her son and the young lady who had held his attention ever since she walked in the store. Marla Potter may have been older than most mothers, but that did not mean her maternal sixth sense was any less attuned. She had never met the redhead standing on the stool in front of them, but she did know that her son had been head over heels for a girl named Lily Evans, who just so happened to have red hair, ever since his fourth year at Hogwarts. And something told her that this Lily Evans and the girl on the stool were one and the same. Even better, it seemed that Lily Evans was going to be Head Girl to her son's Head Boy next year.

Now Marla was not an overtly gregarious woman who struck up conversations with strangers in clothing stores, but she did sometimes have a wicked sense of humor, and this seemed like too golden of an opportunity to pass up. That and she really wanted to meet this Lily Evans character who had so completely captured her darling baby boy's fancy. So, as she followed James across the store, a rather mischievous idea formed in her mind.

Madame Malkin was just finishing Lily's measurements, so Marla waited until the shopkeeper had performed the required alterations charms before requesting her assistance with James' sleeves, which did not seem to be the same length anymore. While Madame Malkin fussed over the unruly sleeve lengths, Marla casually approached the bench where Betsy Evans was seated, waiting for Lily to return from the changing room. She took a seat beside the other mother, then turned towards her and asked with a friendly smile, "Pardon me if this is a bit forward, but I couldn't help overhearing. Did you say your daughter will be Head Girl at Hogwarts this year? You must be so proud."

The second the words left her mouth, Marla gained the absolute attention of two people in the room. James was now staring at her with a mixture of apprehension and embarrassment on his face. Betsy was surprised, but smiling, like all mothers do, at the opportunity to brag about her child.

"Oh… yes I did," she answered, "Her father and I are very proud of her." Then she glanced from James to Marla and asked, "Does your son attend Hogwarts as well?"

"Well this is a happy coincidence," Marla replied, her smile widening even further, "My James has just been named Head Boy. Funny that we should have both run into each other here." Nodding in James' direction, she added, "I'm Marla Potter, by the way, and this is my son, James."

Betsy's eyes widened as she glanced between the two Potters again, and then she laughed. "It _is_ an odd coincidence, but it's very nice to meet both of you. I'm Betsy Evans, and my daughter Lily is somewh- Oh! Here she comes." She smiled brightly and beckoned her daughter over to join them. Lily, now wearing the robe she had just fitted, approached the party warily, unsure as to why her mother was having a conversation with James' mum or why she was so intent on Lily joining it. "Come over here so I can see, Lil," Betsy admonished. "Now turn around for me. Slowly. I definitely think you should get this one. You look lovely, dear."

"Thanks, Mum," Lily replied, glancing curiously between Betsy and Marla. "Er…"

"Oh yes, how silly of me," Betsy said, "You'll never guess who I've just met. This is Marla Potter and her son James. Have you two met before? He's at Hogwarts too."

"Er yeah. We're um… we're actually in the same house," Lily answered, casting a rather grudging smile towards James, who was still standing on the stool while Madame Malkin charmed his sleeves back to the same length. "H'lo James. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Potter."

"Hey Evans," James said, hoping his expression was casual and disinterested and trying his best to ignore the fact that Lily Evans was standing not one meter away from him, looking breathtakingly gorgeous in the dress robes she was wearing.

"So you two do know each other," Betsy said, breaking the beat of awkward silence that had followed the young people's greeting. "Even better! Lily, Marla has just been telling me that James will be your fellow Head student next year. Isn't this a funny coincidence?"

"Yeah… funny," Lily answered, thinking that it was anything but. Potter? _Potter_ was Head Boy? Was this some elaborate prank he was pulling on her? For a moment as she stared suspiciously at James, she forgot that they were in public, but she soon recovered herself and forced an expression of pleased surprise onto her face. "Congratulations, Potter. I er… didn't know you had it in you."

While he was fairly positive that Lily was only pretending to be glad to hear the news, James was genuinely overjoyed. He may have been embarrassed when his mother first initiated conversation with Lily's mum, but by this point the self-confident lad had recovered his usual composure. Lily's confused response and backhanded compliment did not throw him the slightest bit off balance, and he replied with a wry grin, "Well frankly, Evans, neither did I. But thanks. And congratulations to you too."

Any further conversation was momentarily prevented by Madame Malkin, who interjected, "Excuse me, Mr. Potter, but if you don't mind holding out both your arms for me…" James complied, and she nodded, "There we are. They're even now. Are you looking for anything else today? Some dress robes of your own, perhaps?"

James hesitated a moment, weighing his options. On the one hand, he really did despise trying on robes, but if it would afford him more time in Lily Evans' presence… Unable to decide, he looked to his mother, and from the Cheshire cat grin on her face, he began to suspect that she was enjoying this chance meeting even more than he was.

"Oh why not," Marla answered for him, rising to her feet. "After all, we can't have the Head Girl showing you up." As she moved to stand beside James, she looked over at Lily and smiled, "You really do look smashing in those robes, dear." Then the two Potters walked over to the rack of men's dress robes, leaving a blushing Lily and her mother behind with Madame Malkin.

"She's right, you know," Betsy said. "Now why don't you change out of those, and we'll get you fitted for a new set of school robes." The shopkeeper took this as her cue to bring over a set of female Hogwarts robes and proceeded to do so while Lily went back to the changing room.

Meanwhile, over at the rack of men's formal wear, Marla was enjoying a good-natured teasing of her son. "I will say the Potter men have excellent taste," she commented, thumbing through the bottom rack, which was the only one she could reach. "She's very pretty, dear, and obviously quite smart."

James merely nodded in reply. While he personally found adjectives like "pretty" and "smart" too mild to adequately describe Lily, he did not think that this was the right time to speak up and say so.

"I'm quite glad we ran into them today, too. I was beginning to think I'd never get to meet the mysterious Lily Evans," Marla continued, unperturbed by his lack of response.

"Well I would have asked her to come home with me ages ago, but I figured she'd get the wrong idea," he smirked.

His mother's only response was to roll her eyes and shake her head. One robe in particular caught her eye, and she stopped browsing, "Ohhh. Look at this one." Reaching up for the hanger, she pulled from the rack a charcoal grey robe that was so dark it was almost black. Although it was obviously wizarding wear, it was styled like a Muggle tuxedo, complete with a black bow tie. "Do you like it? I think you ought to try it on."

James, who really couldn't care less about the dress robes he was supposed to be buying, shrugged, "Looks all right. Sure I'll try it."

While he went back to the changing room, Marla returned to the other side of the store, where Lily was now being fitted for school robes. This time, it was Betsy who initiated conversation. "Do you have any other children?" she asked, turning to smile at her new friend as Marla resumed her former seat on the bench.

"Oh no," Marla responded, "James is our only one. He was a bit of a miracle child himself. What about you?"

"Petunia, my elder daughter, is two years older than Lily," Betsy answered. "She isn't er… magical though. I suppose, in that sense, Lily is _our_ miracle child." The latter sentence was accompanied by a fond smile as Betsy looked up at her younger daughter.

"She certainly seems to live up to the title," Marla agreed, following the direction of Betsy's gaze to where Lily was standing (and blushing) on the stool. "You'll have to forgive us, Lily," she apologized. "As mothers, our favorite topic of conversation is to brag about our children. But anyway, what about you? Do you have any plans yet for what you'll be doing once you finish at Hogwarts?"

"It's all right," Lily responded, smiling. She didn't really mind when her mother talked about her; it was just a little disconcerting to hear the conversation going on as though she wasn't there. As soon as the topic changed, her expression brightened. "Yes, actually. I'm planning to apply to the Healer training program at St. Mungo's."

"St. Mungo's? Excellent!" Marla answered, visibly impressed. "I'm sure you know that's a difficult program to get into, but I've no doubt you'll be accepted."

"Thanks," Lily said, flashing Marla a grin. "I hope so too."

"This is quite a change of career choice, I'll have you know," Betsy interjected with a teasing smile in Lily's direction. "The whole time she was in primary school, Lily's greatest ambition was to be a famous ballerina when she grew up."

"Was it really?" Marla asked, laughing.

"Yeah. Mum's right," Lily answered. "I wanted to be a ballerina for ages. Until I got to Hogwarts, really."

"You did? And why did you give it up?"

"Well I couldn't take lessons during school. That and… I guess I realized that there are more er… meaningful things to do with my life."

"That's certainly admirable," Marla agreed. "What sort of healing do you want to study?"

"Dark Magic Reversal, if I can," said Lily. "I figure that's the most useful sort to study right now."

"Probably," Marla responded, her expression growing a bit saddened at the reference to the war currently wracking the wizarding world. Before she could from a real response, however, she was distracted by the sight of James walking back towards them, clad in the charcoal grey dress robes. "Ohhhh, James! You look dashing. I don't think those even need to be charmed. They fit you perfectly."

And they really did. Even Betsy was nodding along with Marla. For her part, Lily grudgingly agreed with the mothers' assessment, but she was not about to give Potter the satisfaction of hearing her say that aloud.

"Great. So we're done, then?" James asked, unable to keep his face from betraying his hope that this particular errand would soon be over.

"I would say so," his mother replied. "You go change out of those, while I make the purchase, and then we'll go to Flourish and Blotts for your books."

"Oh you're headed there too?" Betsy asked, "Why don't we all four go together? Lily and I have never run into one of her schoolmates while back to school shopping before. It could be fun."

According to the look on James' face, this was quickly shaping up to be one of the best days of his rather young life. He returned to the changing room with a crooked, goofy grin on his face, and ended up tripping over his feet as he attempted to extricate himself from the charcoal robes. While he was wrestling with the unruly fabric, Marla Potter couldn't help but smile at the mother and daughter while Madame Malkin rang up their purchases. She had seen the way James' ears had grown red and his neck had flushed- hard to miss, really- and was indeed quite pleased with the young lady with which her boy was so clearly smitten. Lily, for her part, was handling this development with what grace she could muster. Running into James Potter, of all people, and then finding out he was to be a Head student with her for an entire year was not exactly how she had expected this day - or the next school year, for that matter - to turn out. However, she mused to herself as she waited for her mother to finish their purchase, forewarned is forearmed. And, no matter how much she disliked James' company, Lily was far too polite to let this affect the way she treated him in front of both their mothers, so she resigned herself to a less-than-pleasant shopping experience and the promise of a good story to relate to Marlene and Mary on the train tomorrow morning.

The group left Madame Malkin's, bags in hand, and trooped off to Flourish and Blott's. The mothers of the two accomplished and intelligent students chatted easily, though conversation was a bit more stilted for Lily and James. Any of James' attempts at flirtatious banter were closed down by the girl who clearly was unimpressed by his ever-so-witty observations. Lily was surprised, however, by how much she liked Marla Potter. The woman, whose sparkling blue eyes hinted at inner youth despite her age, was as vibrant as anyone she had ever met. And Besty Evans was all the more convinced as Marla insisted on paying for tea and scones for the lot of them that the Wizarding World was a wonderful place for her beloved child to live in. Thus, when the Potters and Evanses parted ways that evening after a full day of school shopping, all were content.


	2. The Train Ride of Destiny

September the First looked as though it would be just as dreary and cloudy as the previous week had been. Although she was safely inside the train station, Lily could hear raindrops spattering on the glass-paned roof overhead as it began to drizzle. By the time she had stowed her trunk in one of the luggage compartments and boarded the Hogwarts Express, the drizzle had evolved into an all-out rain shower. She was about to make her way down the corridor in search of the other Gryffindor seventh year girls when she felt a tap on her right shoulder and turned around, only to be wrapped in a tight, enthusiastic hug. "Lily!" a familiar voice squealed in her ear, "How've you been? It's been weeks since I saw you last."

After the initial shock wore off, Lily wrapped her arms around the speaker and squeezed her tightly before pulling away to smile at her best friend. Marlene McKinnon and Lily Evans had been fast friends ever since the first week of First Year, when they had both accidentally gotten on a moving staircase on their way back from dinner and spent the better part of an hour trying to find their way back to Gryffindor Tower. Not too long after that, their duo had expanded to include another housemate, Mary MacDonald, and it was after this third member of the trio that Lily now inquired, "I know. Way too long. Have you found Mary yet? I don't have long before I have to go run the Prefects' meeting, but I have to talk to both of you. You'll never guess who I ran into yesterday in Diagon Alley."

Fortunately, Marlene _had_ found Mary, and both girls had already secured a compartment, to which Lily was now ushered. All this meant that, twenty minutes later, as she made her way to the Heads' compartment at the head of the train, Lily had already had a chance to relay yesterday's unexpected events to her best friends and was less anxious about the upcoming Prefects' meeting. In fact, she was feeling cautiously optimistic. After all, Dumbledore was not an idiot; he had to have had good reason to give Potter the badge. She was at least going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Despite previous declarations that she absolutely loathed his "smug mug" and couldn't stand to be around someone whose "ego was so huge she was surprised the castle could house it," Lily really didn't want to spend every Prefects' meeting fighting with her fellow Head Student. Still, she didn't doubt that the first meeting might be a bit awkward, especially since Potter, never having been a Prefect, would have no idea how it was supposed to be run in the first place. She very much hoped he would arrive in enough time for her to at least tell him what was supposed to be accomplished this morning, but she wouldn't be surprised if he turned up late for the meeting.

When she arrived in the Heads' Compartment at the end of the train, it was, as she had assumed it would be, empty, which meant that she was free to choose whichever seat she wanted. She immediately took one by the window, as one of her favorite parts of the journey to Hogwarts was watching the scenery roll by. Thankfully, they seemed to have left the rainy weather behind in London, so with any luck, the view today would be marvelous. She glanced at her watch, noting that there were still a good twenty minutes left before the meeting started, and made herself comfortable by curling her legs up on the seat. Brushing her long, red hair behind her ears, Lily leaned against the wall to her right and smiled as the sunlight filtered gently through the compartment window to bathe her face in warm, golden light. With her attention still focused on the scenery unfolding before her, she picked idly at a stray thread on the worn-out knee of her jeans and settled herself in for a bit of relaxation before Potter and the Prefects arrived and the hustle and bustle of the school year began.

Elsewhere on the train, James was hurrying his way up the corridors to the Heads' Compartment. Bidding farewell to his parents had taken a bit longer than expected, and he was determined not to be late to his first meeting as Head Boy. The corridors, however, were crowded with students. He had to flatten himself against the wall more than once to let past a third-year girl or to allow some group of second-year boys to scurry by. Just when he thought he was nearly to the front of the train, an extremely pretty girl with thick, wavy brown hair stepped out in front of him, blocking his way.

"Hel-l-o, Mister Quidditch Captain," she began, fluttering her eyelashes.

James took a step back, surprised. "Sorry?" he replied, peering down at her. After a brief moment of confusion, her face and name clicked in his mind, and he was feeling very awkward indeed. It was some girl James had met that summer at Britain's Quidditch match against France, had gotten drunk with at a victory celebration immediately afterward, and had spent a good deal of the night snogging in the haze of pride. He opted to keep things casual in the corridor, as he really ought to be meeting Lily in the front compartment to go over what was to happen in the Prefects' Meeting. Since he had been a bit of a wildcard candidate for Head Boy, he wasn't exactly sure how the whole business was supposed to be run. However, it all seemed like a pretentious ball of fluff to him. He could spare a few minutes, surely. They spoke for a few minutes, exchanging flirtatious banter and eventually determining the pair of them should go to one of the upcoming Hogsmeade weekends together. With a wink and a wave, James was on his way.

He reached the front of the train, locating the Heads' compartment easily by virtue of the fact that he could see Lily's fiery red hair through the frosted glass of the sliding door. He took a deep breath outside and then opened it, closing it behind him as he sat down on the bench across from her. "Morning, Miss Evans," he said with a smile, giving her a very quick and subtle once-over. The summer had been kind to this girl, that was for sure. "How've you been?"

His voice startled Lily from her contemplation of the beauty of the English countryside. She turned around quickly to see who had entered the compartment and was surprised to find James sitting across from her, as she hadn't expected him to arrive any earlier than a few seconds before the meeting was due to start. Offering him a polite smile, she answered, "Morning. I'm well, and you?" His early arrival was a surprise, but a pleasant one. At least things seemed to be getting off to a good start. Still, there were only ten minutes left before the Prefects would be arriving, which meant that it was time to get down to business.

Sitting up, she focused her attention on James instead of the scenery. "I'm glad you're early," she said, "I figured you didn't know much about what's supposed to happen at this meeting, so I thought I'd give you a brief run-down. Basically, the point of the meeting is for everyone to be introduced. The sixth and seventh year Prefects will all know each other already, but the fifth year ones won't. I thought we could give everyone a chance to introduce themselves, let them know a bit of their responsibilities for this year, decide who will be patrolling the corridors when and then dismiss them. Oh, and we have to tell them the date of the next meeting, which we ought to decide now." She paused, glancing over at James for any input he might have on this matter. When none was forthcoming, she offered, "It's usually held sometime in the evening on the first day of classes."

James nodded along with Lily as she rattled off today's to-do list. Contrary to what one might have believed, he was eager to pick up all his new responsibilities with the Head Girl. One of his best friends, a boy by the name of Remus Lupin, had been a school prefect for years, and he always seemed to be off at meetings. Hours at meetings meant Remus had to be spending time with the other prefects, and it was common knowledge that the Head Boy and Girl had to sort all manner of things out together. If all his theories were correct, it appeared that this coming term might carry with it untold hours with Lily. The sudden influx of responsibility, he decided, was more than welcome if it meant he got to spend countless hours in the company of his favorite redhead. His attention was caught by one responsibility in particular. He was eager to sort out Patrol duties - wasn't it that the Head Boy and Girl typically patrolled together? This could be good. Though by the end of sixth year, he had begun to back off in his pursuit of the redhaired girl, he was still harboring a massive crush on her. James considered Lily's appointment as Head Girl to be one of the perks of being named Head Boy. Thus far, she had not shown any indication of being swayed by his charms, but perhaps if they had to work side-by-side all year...

That train of thought was brought to an abrupt halt as he realized that Lily was finished speaking and was now waiting for him to reply. "Sounds good," he said, relaxing back against the seat cushion. "So we do a meet-and-greet and then figure out the basics. Is there like a patrols timetable we ought to be using? Moony's a seventh year prefect- you think I'd have had this sorted by now." He shrugged, flashing a crooked smile at the girl across from him. "What is it you need me to do? I mean, I got the same task list from Professor Dumbledore as you, I'm guessing, but you've done this scene before." He was feeling very casual about all of this. Perhaps it was a big to-do to some, but he hadn't really wanted the post. His beginning-of-the-year Quidditch trials, playbook and training, however, were far more important to him. He had spent hours perfecting the team structure, and was eagerly anticipating the start of the season. Yet that would have to wait. Lily was here and now, and somehow James didn't mind putting off Quidditch for a conversation with her, even if it was only a conversation about Heads duties.

"All you have to do is introduce yourself," Lily replied. "You can let them know when the next Prefects meeting is too, if you'd like. I'm assuming that tomorrow evening works for you? Say at eight o'clock, right after dinner? There is a patrols timetable, but we have to decide which pair patrols when. And, of course, we'll have patrol duty ourselves. There are other things to consider too, like scheduling Hogsmeade weekends, but we don't have to worry about that just yet. We do need to meet on our own sometime before tomorrow night, though, so we can work out a temporary patrols schedule for the next week."

Before they could set a time, however, the compartment door opened and a boy and girl, already in school robes, filed in. Lily could only assume that these were the new Hufflepuff prefects, as she recognized neither one, and they both wore black-and-yellow ties. "Just hold that thought," she told James, for the compartment was now quickly filling with this year's group of Prefects, and a couple of minutes later, they had all arrived. Rising gracefully to her feet, Lily cleared her throat ever-so-slightly to gain the chatty crowd's attention and then addressed them all with a warm smile: "Welcome everyone and congratulations on earning your badges this year. I'm sure you all have friends to get back to, so we're going to keep this meeting brief. All we want to accomplish this morning is to settle on shifts for patrolling the corridors during the train ride. But before we get to the business part of the meeting, I thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves, for the fifth year Prefects' sake. So! I'll start. I'm Lily Evans. I'm a seventh year Gryffindor, and I'm this year's Head Girl." With one last smile to the little crowd, she took her seat again and nodded at James to indicate that he ought to be next to introduce himself.

He may have been new at this and had little time to prepare, but as James straightened in his seat to continue the introductions, it became at least partially clear why the Headmaster had chosen him for Head Boy. When he looked around the room, an easy-going smile on his lips, the Prefects' eyes turned to him as he said, "Name's James Potter, as I'm sure most of you know. I'm a Gryffindor like Evans here, and no this is not a prank. Dumbledore actually appointed me Head Boy." At the mention of pranks, a few of the Prefects (the female ones in particular) tittered, but they all appeared to accept his leadership, at least for the time being. It seemed that Dumbledore had been correct when, in his owl to James, he had cited the lad's natural charisma and leadership abilities as reasons for his appointment. He commanded the attention of the room with ease.

The rest of the meeting went without a hitch. Scarcely fifteen minutes later, the Prefects trooped out of the Heads' Compartment, headed either for their own compartments or for patrol duties. One of the seventh year Prefects, a tall, very thin young man with a head of tousled, mouse brown hair, hung back until his compatriots had left. Leaning against the wall by the door, he smiled at Lily, who was repacking a roll of parchment and a quill into her schoolbag. "By the way, congratulations, Lily. I always knew you'd make Head Girl," he said. Lily smiled and thanked him, then Remus turned his attention to James. "And you too, Prongs. Once you're done, we're in the sixth car, second compartment, all right?"

"Be there as soon as I can, Moony," James assured him, and Remus stepped out into the corridor, sliding the door shut behind him.

Now that the compartment was empty, Lily turned to James, setting her re-packed schoolbag on the seat beside her as she asked, "So are you okay with having the next meeting tomorrow night? We can give out at least a makeshift patrol schedule by then, even if we don't have a final version ready."

James shrugged, "Tomorrow? Yeah, that sounds fine." He was silent for a moment, searching for something to say to carry on the remarkably civil conversation they were having, but could think of nothing. Rather than let the awkward silence linger, he rose to his feet and said, smiling, "Listen, I've got to go and meet my mates. Have a good train ride, Evans."

Though she was more than ready to end their conversation, Lily had one more item on her mental checklist to cover, so she called out before he could leave the compartment, "Me too, Potter. Just hold on a sec. Somebody has to patrol the castle tomorrow night, too, and since we can't have given the Prefects the schedule ahead of time, I think we ought to be the ones to take the first patrol."

"Oh. That soon?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well yeah, I guess." He shrugged again and, just to make Lily squirm, added, "It's a date."

A resigned frown settled over her features, and she rolled her eyes as she shouldered her bag and headed for the compartment door. "You wish, Potter. And I'll have you know I'm more than happy to take off house points _and_ give you detention if you try anything."

James laughed. "You wish, Evans," he teased as he exited the compartment and headed for the sixth car where his mates awaited him.

"Stupid prat," Lily muttered to herself, winding her way down the corridor to the compartment where Marlene and Mary were waiting for her. She should have known it wouldn't take him long to use his new badge as an excuse to hit on her. And yet, she mused, her temper cooling as she walked, the meeting had gone remarkably well. None of the fears that had worried her yesterday after learning of James' appointment to Head Boy had been realized. He hadn't used the meeting as an excuse to crack up and act like a half-wit; the other Prefects seemed inclined to respect him, despite his lengthy disciplinary record; he at least hadn't made suggestive comments to her in front of the other Prefects. All in all, the first meeting could be counted a success, and as she was never one to dwell on unpleasant subjects for long, Lily intended to spend the next two hours until her patrol duty catching up with her best friends on all that had happened to them over the summer.

Her friends, of course, had other ideas. As soon as she stepped into the compartment and shut the door behind her, Marlene burst out, "So?! How was it?"

Surprised by the immediate interrogation, Lily turned around and glanced between Marlene's bright, eager blue-eyed gaze and Mary's more subdued, blue-grey scrutiny. After a few moments of silence, she sighed and surrendered. Apparently she was going to spend the greater part of her afternoon either with Potter or having to talk about him. "It was fine," she said, sinking onto the cushioned bench beside Mary. "Meeting went smoothly. We're having the next one tomorrow night. I do have to patrol with Potter after that, though."

The other girls watched her carefully as she spoke. Though they had never shared this sentiment with Lily, they both wondered if her feelings for James were really what she claimed them to be. Marlene was a bit more decided in her belief that Lily was secretly attracted to the bespectacled, tousle-haired fellow, but Mary at least agreed that Lily didn't really hate him as much as she so loudly proclaimed. And both girls privately thought that he wasn't nearly as awful a person as Lily made him out to be. "So nothing happened? He behaved?" Marlene pressed. She and Mary had not expected such a subdued reaction from their usually fiery roommate.

"Yeah. Surprisingly. Although he apparently thinks patrols count as a date," Lily replied.

Mary laughed gently and said, eyes twinkling, "Well that's only to be expected, right? After all, he's never had a whole hour alone with you before."

"Two hours," Lily corrected with a groan.

"Well if you really wanted out of it, half the girls in school would jump at the chance to take your place," Marlene offered.

"It can't be that bad, Lil," Mary said. "Didn't you tell us you spent two hours with him yesterday? And you survived."

"Yeah, but our mums were there. Of course he was on his best behavior. Potter's not an idiot," Lily replied.

"Oh really?" Mary said, quirking an eyebrow as she and Marlene shared a look, each one remembering the many previous times that Lily had called the Head Boy's intelligence into question.

Recognizing the look that had just passed between her best friends, Lily crossed her arms, exasperated. "Oh you know what I mean. He's not dumb enough to go acting like a prat in front of his mum, otherwise she wouldn't think so highly of him."

"Come on Lily," Marlene said gently, "Have you ever thought that maybe she likes him because he actually has redeeming qualities? I mean... Dumbledore must think so, because he made James Head Boy. Just give him a chance."

"I know, I know," Lily said, sighing. "And I'm going to. It's just... not how I expected the school year to start." She was silent a moment, then she looked beseechingly between Marlene and Mary and asked, "Do we have to spend all afternoon talking about Potter? We haven't seen each other all summer. I'm sure we can come up with better things to talk about."

"Actually...," Mary began, "We do. I have to tell you both about what happened while I was in Brighton this summer."

"Let me guess! You met a boy!" Marlene interjected. "Did you meet him at the beach? Was he cute?" And with that, the girls' conversation turned to lighter topics as they filled each other in on the various events and escapades of their summer holidays. By the time she had to leave for her patrol, Lily had learned all about the tall, handsome American lad who had taken a fancy to Mary while both their families were vacationing at Brighton Beach. She was in much better spirits as she began to slowly walk the length of the train corridors, keeping an eye out for any confused first-years or mischievous third years. And speaking of mischievous third years... She had now reached the sixth car, and as she passed the second compartment, Lily turned her head to glance inside. However, mischief did not seem to be brewing in the Marauders' compartment at the moment. The boys were apparently deep in conversation. As she continued down the corridor, Lily was surprised, but glad, to know that Potter at least did not appear to be planning to start the year off by flouting his new Head Boy badge.

"You see, Padfoot, this is a good thing. Think of this as a train ride to destiny." James leaned forward so that his forearms were resting on the knees of his crisp new school robes. One corner of his mouth twisted upward to show he knew how ridiculous he sounded. "Seventh year is the time when you've got to decide who you're going to be and how you're going to go about it. Or at least figure out how to lie convincingly to yourself."

"Oh, come off it," Sirius Black said, a frown creasing his handsome face. He was reclining as comfortably as one can on a rigid train bench, legs propped on a trunk resting in the middle of the floor. His expression betrayed his emotional discomfort with speaking of such indefinite concepts as what to do after Hogwarts. The future was awfully far-off; what was the use of trying to plan it? "We're going to get through this year, complaining about N.E.W.T.s and after-graduation placement, and then we're going to move on. People have been graduating Hogwarts for centuries. Not everyone is the new hero. No epitomes, or anything."

Remus Lupin looked up.  
"Epiphanies, Padfoot," he said mildly, attention returning to the Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven. "And who are we to say what will or won't happen? Every adult I have ever met has fifteen tons of advice to pour down my throat. How I ought to start thinking about my future-" at this, a wry smile ghosted his features- "or else start declaring my intentions to the world. However, I don't think that any year in anyone's life is _the_ year. We're all in a constant state of choice."

Peter Pettigrew nodded as Remus finished, tearing off the crusts of his jelly sandwich and crumpling them into a bread ball.  
"What I think," he said, flicking off a bit of jelly that stuck resolutely to his fingernail, "is that this is our last year here. And we ought to make the most of it. I mean, you blokes have got to win the Quidditch Cup- you simply have to!- and I've got to pass Charms. And, Prongs, you've got one last year to get Evans to go out with you. So, with all this stuff, we've just got to do it."

James shifted in his seat, straightening up from his hunched over position.

Sirius shook his hair from his eyes.  
"Yeah, how goes that, mate?" he asked, glad the subject had moved from the abstract unknown to something more tangible.

James shrugged, fighting to keep his expression neutral.  
"Horrible. Wonderful. I dunno, really. It's a toss-up every time I speak to her."

"But you get to do all sorts of cozy things with her? All holed up together, figuring out patrol schedules and such?" Sirius' expression became one of amusement. "How many times can you get her to give you detention? Moony- a galleon says he breaks into the double-digits before the Christmas holidays." The grey-eyed boy sat up straight, letting his feet fall to the floor.

Remus shook his head.  
"Nothing doing," he said. "I like Lily. And besides, I don't think James is up for it. Am I right?" He shot a look in the bespectacled boy's direction.

James was looking out the window.  
"You know," he said after a long moment. "We've got to work together this whole year. It might be best for the both of us if I just… I dunno."

A long moment of silence passed, broken only by Peter coughing as a bit of bread went down the wrong way.

Then, suddenly, James started in his seat.  
"Did you hear about the Caerphilly Catapults' match last Saturday?" His hazel eyes were bright and shining with team pride. "Took down the Harpies, four hundred and thirty to four hundred and ten. I just about had a conniption fit- the match lasted nine hours!"

The conversation turned from James Potter's personal life to talk of Quidditch successes, predictions for the League finals the following spring, and the rumors flying that a International Quidditch League scout would be attending the Hogwarts Inter-House Quidditch Cup in May. They were still comparing theories and possible League lineups when the train began to slow down, indicating the students had at long last arrived at Hogwarts for another school year. Each boy rose from his seat with a sense of excitement. This was Seventh Year- their year! No matter what happened, it was the Marauders' last chance to leave their mark on the establishment of wizarding education. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter knew they were more than up for the challenge. They walked with confidence and something akin to bravado past the station attendant, each of them head and shoulders taller than the first-years who huddled behind the bulk of gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid.

"Oi!" Sirius called toward the frightened-looking group. "There's no turning back now! Hope you're ready to tackle those kelpies when we get to the sorting!" A little blonde girl with red-rimmed eyes squealed and hugged her companion to her.

Remus nudged Sirius.  
"Come on, Padfoot," he cajoled. "Poor thing's aready homesick; don't make her wet herself before she's even been sorted." Sirius rolled his eyes, and the four of them stepped off the platform and onto the dirt path that led toward the carriages.

James was entirely distracted from their joking conversation when he caught sight of the all-too-familiar head of glorious red hair a few meters ahead. His stomach gave a funny little jolt, and his lips parted easily in a smile.

"You know, gents," he said to his friends, hoisting his knapsack higher on his shoulder as they headed toward the carriages, "I think this year will be one for the record books. It's our last year; we had better make it count!"

And with that, they were swept into the crowd of the reunited student body, fully unprepared for what was to come.


	3. Potter's Hot Date

Although today was the first day of classes and therefore the first day of homework, papers and projects, the general excitement of last night's Welcoming Feast had carried over into breakfast this morning. The mood in the Great Hall was one of happy anticipation. All four house tables were humming with activity as the students compared class schedules and caught up on their friends' summer holiday activities. When breakfast ended, the throng of chattering students swarmed out into the Entrance Hall and split off to their various classrooms. The first year Ravenclaws shuffled off to their first Charms class; the fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins trooped down to the dungeons for Potions. The seventh years, or at least those of them that were taking NEWT-level Defense Against the Dark Arts, were among the last to trickle out of the Great Hall and head for their classroom, having learned by now that there really was no point in rushing off to class.

Sirius, James, Remus and Peter were, of course, among the last to enter the classroom. As James filed through the doorway, Professor Killeborn, who had stood by the door to greet his students, stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and said gruffly, "I've a message from the Headmaster for you, Potter. He wants you and Evans to meet him in his office at five o'clock this afternoon. Password's 'peppermint.'"

James nodded and took a detour on the way to his customary seat at the back of the class to pause beside the desk that Lily was sharing with Marlene.

"You're a sight for sore eyes this morning, Evans," he said, flashing her a cheesy grin.

Lily sighed and turned to look up at him, thinking it was much too early in the morning to be starting this already

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Dumbledore wants to meet with us before dinner this afternoon. Five o'clock in his office. The password's 'peppermint.'"

"Oh. Okay. Thanks," she responded, then turned her back on him and resumed her conversation with Marlene.

James, understanding that he was dismissed, grinned to himself as he ambled to the back of the classroom to take his seat beside Sirius, who quirked a brow at him.

"At it again already, Prongs? I thought you were going to leave off her a bit."

"Nah. It's just Heads business," James answered, taking out a bit of parchment and a quill as Professor Killeborn began the lesson. The rest of the day flew by in a blur of first classes. Defense was followed by Potions; after a break for lunch, the school day ended with Charms class. It was like a repeat of Fifth Year, with each professor making a point to remind his students about the all-important exams awaiting them at the end of the school year and, as if to prove his point, saddling them with a mound of homework. By the time five o'clock and his and Lily's meeting with Dumbledore rolled around, James was more than ready for a break. Part of him begrudged the large chunk of his evening that he was about to devote to Head duties; the other part was jumping for joy at the prospect of all that time spent with the Head Girl.

Before he left the common room, he debated whether or not he should bring parchment and quill. In the end, he decided against it. If notes needed to be taken, Lily was sure to have the necessary equipment with her. Checking his watch, he noted that he now had only six minutes left to make it to Dumbledore's office. Fortunately, he knew a shortcut, and so he arrived in front of the gargoyle statue on the seventh floor just as Lily rounded the corner. She stopped short in her tracks at the sight of him, unable to fathom why she hadn't passed him on the way over from Gryffindor Tower. When she'd left the common room eight minutes ago, he had still been lounging on the sofa.

"How did you-?" she began, but James cut her off with an easy smile.

"Short cut." He then turned his attention to the gargoyle, gave the password and stepped aside to let Lily through first as the gargoyle leaped sideways to reveal the stone staircase that was the entrance to the Headmaster's office.

When the pair reached the top of the staircase, the Headmaster was already seated behind his desk, waiting for them. As the two new Head students crossed the room towards him he flicked his wand to draw up chairs for them on the other side of his desk. "Good evening Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," he said, the twinkle in his eyes belying the gravity of his tone. "I trust your first day of classes went smoothly?"

"Good evening, Professor," Lily returned the greeting, settling gracefully into her chair. "They did, thank you."

Dumbledore waited until James was seated as well before he spoke again.

"I'm sure you're both wondering why I asked to meet with you this evening. My first reason, I will admit, was that I wished to congratulate you both, in person, on your appointment as Head students. I am confident that both of you are more than capable of shouldering the admittedly large burden I've placed upon your shoulders this year." He paused to smile between Lily and James, his warm gaze lingering on the latter as he deduced that James was feeling less certain than his co-Head of his appointment as Head Boy.

"My second reason," Dumbledore continued, "was to ask if either of you have any questions about what is expected of you this year. I will admit, Mr. Potter-" and here he smiled apologetically at James "-that I did not go into too great detail in your letter. I was assuming that Miss Evans would be able to fill you in on everything you needed to know."

"And she has, Professor," James assured him, glancing over at Lily. "It's been fine so far." He paused, then asked, "So other than organizing Patrols, Hogsmeade weekends and tutoring, is there anything else we're s'posed to be doing?"

"That is all of your stated duties, yes," the Headmaster agreed, "But you are also expected to be an example for the school. I'm sure you both have realized that the state of the wizarding world is not nearly so happy as it was when you began your schooling. Hogwarts is still a safe haven for every student here, but that does not mean some of them will not be touched by the war raging outside these walls. These are dark, difficult days, and the students will need someone to look up to in the year to come. Both of you were chosen for these positions because I believe you can be the leaders that your fellow students need. It will not always be easy, but I know I can expect the best from both of you."

"We understand, Professor," Lily said, her expression solemn.

Dumbledore smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Well then, if neither of you has any further questions...." He paused, but none were forthcoming. "Then Miss Evans, I'm sure you'd like to get to your dinner. Mr. Potter, if you don't mind lingering a moment."

While Lily rose and crossed the room to descend the staircase, James remained in his seat. Once the door was shut behind her, Dumbledore leaned forward once more and gazed warmly, but firmly at the Head Boy. "Mr. Potter, we are both aware that your conduct in the past has been... less than exemplary. I will be frank with you in admitting that some of the staff questioned my decision to give you your badge, but I am confident I made the right decision. I wonder, though, if you agree with me."

James barely restrained himself from squirming in his seat, his conscience pricking him under the Headmaster's gaze. He had indeed wondered, ever since his owl arrived, why his badge had not been given to someone more like Remus, who was not so flagrant in his flouting of the school rules. "I er.... I did wonder....," he began, but trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"You have the makings of a great leader, James," Dumbledore continued. "The same natural gifts that you have been using to worm your way out of trouble could just as easily be used to unite and inspire your classmates. I gave you your badge this year in hopes that it would motivate you to use those gifts for better ends than mere mischief-making."

The boy felt himself flushing, and now felt strangely even more like fidgeting under the unexpected praise.

"I... well thanks, Professor," he said sheepishly. "And... I want you to know I won't let you down."

"I didn't expect you would, James," Dumbledore said, blue eyes glimmering behind his glasses as he smiled at the now-bashful Head Boy. "And with that bit of business behind us, you are now dismissed for dinner."

James excused himself and exited the Headmaster's office. It occurred to him that this was the first time in his six years at Hogwarts that he had been in the Headmaster's office for a non-disciplinary issue. At that thought, he smiled. Within minutes, he was reunited with his friends at the dinner table, and for the moment, he was distracted from his duties by the companionship of his three best mates. At the end of the meal, Sirius and Peter headed back to the boys' shared room while Remus made for the Library. James had caught sight of Lily leaving the Entrance Hall a short while after he arrived. He was disappointed, as he'd been hoping for the possibility of accompanying her back to the common room. Their conduct in the Headmaster's office had been decent, if only a little cordial. Oh, well. She couldn't be expected to fall to his charms after fifteen minutes in close proximity.

The next couple of hours passed quickly; he tried to make at least a small dent in his mound of homework before it was time for patrols to begin, but he was rather distracted. James would be lying if he said he was not at least a little excited about his first real patrols with Lily. As the hour approached, he took care to be in the Entrance Hall, where he had been instructed to meet the Head Girl, well before the scheduled time. Dumbledore had issued James a challenge to prove himself by giving him the Head Boy badge, and James was determined to show that he deserved it. And so he waited in the grand arched hallway, speaking with some Gryffindor hopefuls who were eager to get in a good word with the Captain before training began.

The ever-lovely figure of Lily Evans appeared a few minutes before she and James were due to start the evening's rotation. She had been enjoying a very comfortable chat upstairs with her girl friends about the first day of classes and all of their plans for their last year at Hogwarts. Luckily, she had the presence of mind to check her watch, and realized with a jolt that if she did not hurry, she would be late. With a quick "see you later!" to Marlene and Mary, she was dashing off to meet James for their Head duties. She fixed her badge as she walked speedily into the Entrance Hall, tucking a strand of unruly hair behind her left ear.

James looked up as she appeared, and with a lopsided grin, turned to his companions.

"Sorry to dash off, and all," he said, "but I've got a hot date, you know."

With a wave, he turned toward the Head Girl, pulled out his Head Boy badge, and pinned it to his vest. It was fortunate for him that Lily had not overheard his comment, though it held only a hint of suggestion. James was anxious to get these patrol duties started off on the right foot; however, he had no experience whatsoever in how to do this whole 'being the responsible one' scene, so he merely smiled at Lily as she approached. She shifted her weight, bracing herself for two whole hours of what was sure to be scarcely civil company.

"So," she finally said, breaking the awkward silence between the two. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," replied James. He made a grand, sweeping sort of gesture toward the hallway. "After you, Miss Evans," he said, throwing an exaggerated wink in his friends' direction. Lily stared at him for a brief moment, already feeling exasperation edge in on her consciousness. She made a nondescript grunt of assent, rolled her eyes at the typical grandiose gesture he always seemed to pull, and stepped into the hallway with James only a few steps behind her.

"So, we're just walking, right?" His question interrupted Lily's mental calculation of how much time was left in their two-hour shift. He continued: "I mean, I suppose I haven't exactly patrolled before."

"Hopefully that's all we'll have to do," she replied. Her crisp, cool tone of voice offered him no invitation to continue speaking. His taunt yesterday about their patrols being a date was still ringing in her ears, and she was intent on being very clear and very firm with her obnoxiously persistent suitor.

James, however, was undeterred. If there was one thing that made the boy squirm, it was tense silences.  
"Well, I mean, I'm usually the one who's trying to avoid being caught, aren't I?"

Lily had the grace to let that particular comment slip by without remark. Several moments passed, and James tried again, wondering if he was going to have to contend with a stonily silent Lily for the entire school term. Morbid curiosity got the better of him, and he asked a question he had often wondered when theorizing what patrols would be like.

"Have you ever caught someone doing something awful before?

"Well..." she thought for a moment, her surprise at the question causing her to temporarily forget her intention to deter him from making another move on her. "It depends on what you consider awful."

James grinned.

"What do _you_ consider awful, then?"

"Yes, I've apprehended people snogging in corners, if that's what you're after." Lily fought the urge to roll her eyes and won. Boys and their preoccupation with sex! It was just plain silly.

He snorted.

"Ooh, not _snogging_!" he cried sarcastically, putting his hands to his mouth before laughing heartily. He himself had been caught more than a few times wrapped in an enthusiastic embrace with one girl or another. 

Her tone grew sardonic.

"I don't know about you, but _I_ think it's rather awful to round a corner and suddenly be accosted by the sight of much more of Jacob Beldenham than you ever wanted to see. But usually rounds aren't that exciting."

James wrinkled his nose, suddenly struck by the idea that, while he was not bothered in the least at being caught kissing, he wouldn't very much enjoy seeing some pudgy Hufflepuff going at it.**  
"**Yeah," he conceded, "I suppose you're right."

He looked over at her as they rounded the corner on the first floor and headed toward the main stairway. She looked rather traumatized by the memory of too much Jacob Beldenham, and so he decided to change the subject.

"So, how do we make our rounds exciting?"

Lily seemed quite taken aback. She felt her face growing warm as she wondered if that comment was supposed to be as salacious as her over-active imagination had interpreted it to be. James looked at her curiously, and Lily noticed there was no smirk on his face, no joking twinkle in his eyes. A small bit of her relaxed. Perhaps she was projecting motives that were not there. If he was not trying to wrangle her into dating him, there was no point in being unfriendly. It contradicted Lily's nature to be unkind, thus she relented.

"Well," she said, trying to think of a way to liven up their patrols. "We could… Tell jokes? Bemoan the massive pile of homework we already have after just one day?"

"Good ideas, all," he interrupted, "but hold that thought."

Lily froze. James stepped toward her, and for a thrilling moment she thought he was going to be stupid enough to make a move on her during their first-ever patrols. But her worry, she realized, was for nothing as he strode past her and toward a very guilty Ravenclaw boy who was lighting a cigarette.

"Oi!" James yelled. "You! Are you _stupid_? Put that out!"

The boy looked startled, dropped his cigarette, and stamped on it.

"Honestly," James said exasperatedly, "are you sure you're in the right house, MacLeod? That stupid stuff is reserved for Slytherins."

The boy called Angus MacLeod looked at the ground and scuffed his shoe over the cigarette once more, mumbling something James could not quite make out.

Lily wrinkled her nose at the toxic smell of cigarette smoke.

"Ew, in the castle, too," she said disapprovingly.

"Go on, give them here," James ordered, holding out his hand for the boy's contraband cigarettes.

Angus begrudgingly handed over his pack of cigarettes.

Lily watched the exchange in silence, then realized that James might not have remembered Head students were allowed to deduct house points, as well as assign detentions.

"And ten points from Ravenclaw, too," she added.

James looked at her, an expression of mild amusement crossing his features.

"Ten points? Really? Isn't that a bit... harsh?"

Lily glared at him.

"He's _in_ the castle."

"Yeah," he countered, "but it's only the second night. I mean, give him a break. He won't do it anymore, will you, MacLeod?"

Angus looked up, seized his opportunity for grace and floundered to make an appeal to the Head Boy.  
"N-no. 'Course not. Been meanin' to quit anyway."

Lily glared at James but said nothing, knowing full well how unprofessional it would appear to have two Head students arguing about punishment in front of a rule-breaker. Instead, she turned toward MacLeod crossly.

"See that you do."

"There. Now, off you go!" James said, shooing the boy away. As MacLeod scampered down the hallway and presumably back toward the Ravenclaw common room, James turned his attention back to the perturbed girl next to him.  
"_Ten_ points?" he asked, his lips stretching in a smile.

Lily's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, _ten_. And next time I'll thank you not to argue with me in front of a rule-breaker."

He laughed, shaking his head as they began to walk again.

"Yes, miss," he said, wondering how on earth Dumbledore had honestly thought he would be able to maintain a grip on punishing deviants when he was not all too far removed from being one himself.

Another silence followed, and James decided it was up to him to break the ice that continued to form over their twosome.

"So, give us a joke," he said, referring to her earlier idea of livening up patrols.

Lily was in no mood to joke, having just been undermined for what was sure to not be the last time by her fellow Head.

"You're the supposed Master of Mirth. You start."

James thought for a moment, running his hand through his hair with a faraway look in his eye. Without looking at her, he asked blandly; "Hey, Evans, go out with me?"

Lily stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him. A nagging little voice in her head was shouting at her that she should have known this was coming. There was no way on earth Potter could possibly maintain a professional distance. This was a disaster, just as she'd feared it would be.  
"Are you _serious_?"

He kept his expression meticulously blank.

" Just doing what you asked, Miss."

Lily was utterly confused. What was he playing at?

"What? I didn't ask you to hit on me _again_, Potter."

He shook his head, smirking at her.

"You did ask for a joke, didn't you?"

She flushed.

"So that's your idea of a joke then?" She could feel the tension in her rise at his immaturity. "Pestering helpless women for dates?"

James' smirk morphed into a real smile.

"You, Lily Evans, are hardly helpless."

She was about to reply with something snarky when she realized his assessment was true. She knew herself to be a capable witch and was glad he would at least admit that fact. With a haughty toss of her head, she began walking again.

"Maybe you ought to be careful, then," she said loftily.

James followed.

"Maybe," he agreed. "Then again, I do like a bit of danger."

There was no suggestiveness in his tone, she was pleased to see. And it was true. All of the boy's public actions in the past six years had been daring, she had to admit.

"Anyway," he continued. "How do you like our classes?"

Lily was extremely glad for the change of subject. Speaking with Potter was dangerous business; every word seemed capable of being heavily flirtatious if she did not watch her step.

"Oh... They were all right. Though I did find all the beginning 'N.E.W.T.s-are-the-most-trying-tests-you-will-ever-have-to-take-so-start-preparing-now' speeches to be rather redundant."

He laughed.

"I think me and Padfoot had it memorised by the time we got to Charms..."

Lily grinned at the memory of tiny Professor Flitwick trying to be stern and imposing.

"Yeah. I think it's a bit of a downer way to start the year. What happened to the 'Welcome to Hogwarts! You're going to learn so many new and wonderful things' speeches we got back in first year?"

James nodded nostalgically, an easy smile tugging the corners of his mouth.

"Aah, those were the days. We were all a bit star-crossed when we first got in. I don't blame that little girl last night for what happened," he said, referring to the little blonde girl who had cried and fainted at the previous night's Sorting.

Lily's eyes softened and her lips quirked.

" Awww. Poor little thing. She was so embarassed! I'm pretty sure, though, that I spent most of my first night here being just as shocked as she was."

James smiled.

"I keep forgetting that you hadn't seen hardly any magic before school. Could have fooled me, that's for sure."

"Hardly any?" she countered. "More like none at all. Well, aside from Professor McGonagall turning our armchair into a pincushion when she came to give me my letter." The last half of James' comment sank in, and she gave an embarrassed little smile. "Oh... thanks."

For a while, James didn't say anything. He was simply relieved to be able to carry on a civil conversation with her. Part of him was bursting to show off and impress her, but six long years had taught him to try his best to rein himself in.

This time, it was Lily who broke the silence.

"I was kind of nervous, you know. That I would somehow be behind everyone."

James looked over at her, his eyes brightening.

"Really? Well, you showed them. I mean, gods, you beat me and Sirius both last year for marks!"

Despite herself, she was buoyed by his praise.

"Why, Potter! I never thought I'd hear you admit to someone besting you."

"Well, enjoy this moment. It won't happen again," he said offhandedly, a good-natured smile on his face.

She laughed, and then a silence followed which Lily, once again, was the first one to break.

"So... er... we need to write up a real patrols schedule sometime soon."

Admittedly, James had forgotten all about the fact that their duties required of them more than simply patrolling the castle in the evening, but he was more than willing to do the little menial tasks that meant he got to walk around with Lily for two hours at a time.

"Alright," he said, not knowing the standard protocol for deciding rounds. "Are we supposed to make a timetable for the younger prefects to follow, or just our own?"

"We have to make one for everyone," she explained patiently. "We're supposed to have them ready for each meeting, although obviously we didn't have time to before the first one on the train."

James felt like an idiot. Of course, as Head students, they were in charge of the Prefects' duties as well as their own.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Dumbledore kind of skirted over most of the actual things we've got to do in my letter. I suppose he figured you'd explain it to me."

Lily shrugged. "It's alright. Anyway, it's not a very difficult process. Usually you can just assign the pairs of Prefects to patrol together at certain times. Unless, of course," she added as an afterthought, "one of them has something else to do. Like a Quidditch practice, or club meeting."

James, who had been wondering how on earth he was supposed to balance his highly important training sessions with Head duties, found the perfect moment in which to voice his concerns.

"Ye-he-heah," he said, drawing the word out into several superfluous syllables. "Quidditch practice. Meant to say something about that."

"What about it?" asked Lily, one eyebrow raised. "I'm perfectly aware you'll have to spend time on that, if that's what you're worried about." She found herself smiling up at the boy beside her. "I do expect you to win us another Quidditch Cup, you know."

He felt the balloon of worry inside him deflate at once.

"Oh, good. And don't worry, I will. Third year running!" He grinned. He had been made Captain initially in his fifth year, and despite a very near miss, had brought Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup for the past two years. Arrogant or not, the boy was extremely talented out on the Quidditch pitch.

Lily, reasonably wary that this conversational direction would cause the tousle-haired boy's ego to inflate to a dangerous level, added teasingly, "We'll see about that when April rolls around."

It was James' turn to raise his eyebrows.

"It's in the bag. I know it," he said confidently. The pair of them ascended one of the trick staircases, automatically jumping over a trap step as they approached it. "So, how's the Slug Club?" he asked politely.

Lily shrugged.

"Fine, I suppose," she said before looking sideways at him. "You know," she said hesitantly, "I'm surprised he never invited you."

James blinked.

"Yes, well," he said, but gave no indication of continuing his response.

"Well?" she prompted. James was clearly fine material for entry into the club. He came from wealthy parents and an established family, he was talented on the pitch as well as in the classroom (she had to admit), and _some_ people considered him to be attractive and funny. What would Slughorn hold against someone whom he could 'collect'?

"It's not really my sort of thing, you know?" he answered lamely as he realized she was determined to get a better reason than "yes, well." He arranged his features into a disinterested expression, masking the fact that he felt a funny little twinge about not being included in an elite ring at Hogwarts.

Lily was not fooled.

"Why," she asked slowly, "do I feel that there's something you're not telling me?" Though she didn't consider herself and James to be bosom companions by any means, she had been subject to him and his overflowing personality for years. There was no way Potter didn't want to be included in a club that was comprised of the supposed best and brightest at Hogwarts.

"Is that what you're feeling?" James asked, giving her a sidelong look and deflecting the question.

Lily was smirking now, having finally found a chink in his seemingly flawless personal armor. "Uh huh," she said, undeterred by his attempt to distract her. "What'd you do? Fail to laugh hard enough at one of his jokes on the first day of class?"

"What are you on about?" James asked as they walked.

She could see that her ribbing was starting to get under his skin, and, as she was not a naturally vindictive person, she backed down. Her tone softened.

"There has to be a reason why he won't invite you to his club. I just figured you'd insulted him or something. He is a bit touchy," she added.

"Maybe he did," James said, loftily. "Maybe I said 'no'."

"You did?" Lily asked out of genuine curiosity. It had never occurred to her that someone might be able to turn down Horace Slughorn, as the man was rather relentless when he met a promising student. She looked over at James, but he was avoiding eye contact.

"Maybe," he said noncommittally.

Having decided she was not going to get the boy to admit anything, Lily let the subject drop. She was just about to suggest they head to the fourth floor when James sighed.

"I replaced his crystallized pineapple once in first year with little salt blocks." He gave a rueful laugh. "Once Slughorn figured out it was me, I think I was off the list for good."

Lily whipped her head around to look at him.

"You did?" she asked, eyes widened with surprise. She burst into giggles, knowing full well how much the Potions master loved his precious pineapple. It made sense that anyone who tampered with the sugary treat would be blacklisted from the Slug Club. "Yeah," she said. "That would do it."

James' serious expression melted away.

"It was... priceless..." he said, remembering. He turned to Lily. "What do you lot _do_there, anyway?" he asked.

"Nothing really," she replied. "There's usually some guest of honor. Someone who used to be a member and has now gone off to do great things with his or her life." She pursed her lips, thinking. "We eat. He serves really good food, actually. It's just like... a bunch of schmoozing, really."

"Ah," said James. "Sounds like seventy percent of my summers home with my parents, then. Guess maybe I'm not missing out after all. Do you like it, then? Schmoozing, that is."

Lily raised an eyebrow and answered dryly, "Who wouldn't?" Then, she relented.

"It's not so bad, really. Meetings are only once a month, and some of the guests of honor are really interesting. Plus it's never a bad thing to be on a professor's good side." She wondered idly if James had ever been on a professor's good side for any extended amount of time. Even Professor McGonagall, who taught James' best subject, seemed to have a very fair-weather relationship with the boy. She had her days when she practically threw James out the door.

But James had his redeeming qualities. He was a charming boy, even if he could be unruly. When he so chose, he could dial up the charisma and sway nearly anyone he chose.

"You know," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "He might be the only person here who flat-out doesn't like me. Of the teachers, that is." A beat of silence followed, and his mind went to the Slytherin crew with whom he was constantly at odds. "Well," he said, smiling. "You can't win 'em all."

He hesitated a moment, then looked down at the winsome redheaded girl next to him.

"Actually," he amended, "I bet _you_ could."

"Maybe he's tired of you picking on all the members of his House," Lily suggested pointedly, ignoring his last comment and the fond tone it carried.

"Maybe they all should stop buying into bigoted nonsense," he countered, his voice growing more serious.

"Touché," she conceded. "Are you sure about _all_ of them, though? Even the first years?"

James shook his head.

"Poor sods are on their way," he said sadly. "Typically, you follow those that lead you. And if their mentors are dragging them down into Dark Magic and things, well... It's not their fault, I guess. Not entirely, at least. I dunno."

Lily was looking at him with something akin to admiration.

"You really hate the Dark Arts, don't you?" she asked. She wasn't sure she could name more than five Purebloods who felt that way. Fewer still who would be so vocal about it.

"I really, really do," James acknowledged, trying very hard not to read her expression too carefully. "I mean, just look at _you._ You're Muggle-Born, but you've managed to beat out about ninety-nine percent of the class for top marks, every single term. You're perfectly capable, and you've done it all through your own skills. And then there are a lot of people out there that think _you_, of all people, don't deserve to be here? It's bollocks." He took a deep breath. "And there's a lot of people out there who wouldn't even blink if it came to the issue of Muggles having any sort of rights. Yeah, they come off as a bit bumbling cos they haven't got magic, but look at what they've come up with! They figured out how to do a lot of things to overcome _that_ handicap. I just... I just don't get it." He was quiet a moment, then looked at the ground. "It's no one's choice to be a wizard any more than it is to be a Squib or a Muggle or a boy or a girl or a cat. It's just _life_, and you've got to let it be."

Lily had been silent throughout his entire speech, trying to prevent herself from gaping in awe at the rather sudden realization that James Potter had some very redeeming qualities.

"Well," she said, searching, "wow. That's very… noble… of you." And so as to not make it appear as if she was in any way giving in to him, she added, "I agree with you. Obviously."

James, suddenly realizing he had just spewed his views at her, felt his neck flush.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to preach at you. I...er... of course you do." He was suddenly worried he had seemed pompous with his mad rush of words, and hoped she didn't think of him as such.

"It's okay," she smiled. "I'm-"-she hesitated a moment before allowing herself to say it "-impressed. Not every seventeen-year-old has put that much thought into... well... into life."

"Well, thank you," James replied, thinking of the countless conversations he had held with his parents over the years, trying to convince them of this very idea. They weren't as dramatically bigoted as the extremists that were rumored to be a part of the Dark Uprising, but they were raised in a time when it was generally accepted that Muggles and Muggle-borns were lower class. "You do realize," he ventured, "that you accidentally just said something nice to me, right?"

Lily raised her eyebrows.

"What makes you think it was an accident?" she challenged. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she blushed and turned her attention back to patrols, worried her words could be misconstrued as flirting.

He laughed, looking straight at her.

"The shocked look of panic on your face, right now."

Her face flushed at the embarrassment of being caught.

"I didn't-!" she exclaimed, and then paused. "I really did meant it, though," she added.

James smiled fondly at her.

"You're all right, Evans. Really."

Before she could help herself, Lily quipped, "Well I should hope _you'd _think so."

"Believe you me; I do." James glanced down at his watch. "And look! We've survived almost an hour without killing each other."

Making an effort to ignore his last comment, Lily nodded.

"So we did."

The pair rounded the corner and found themselves back in the Entrance Hall. They had completed the first loop of the building, and now would continue to do it all over again. Having reached a point of almost amiable silence, James was content to mull over their first extended and civil conversation. After another ten minutes of walking without any truants to apprehend, he spoke up.

"You weren't kidding when you said Patrols were dull."

"Nope," Lily admitted cheerfully.

James thought about it a minute.

"Not that I don't adore the company, of course."

"Potter..." she was torn between amusement and irritation. Was he ever going to get the message and stop trying to win her over?

"Hm?" He looked over at her, apparently unaware that he had complimented her at all.

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but then decided that bringing up the fact that he was persistently flirting with her would not solve anything.

"Nevermind."

One hour and six dungbombs later, James and Lily were headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. The stiff posture and polite distance the two had carried earlier had dissipated, and on more than one occasion, James' hand had brushed against Lily's. He had immediately apologized each time, but truthfully was not in the least bit sorry.

As they rounded the last corner and came in sight of the Fat Lady, James was laughing at a very miffed Lily.

"_Ten_ points!?" he exclaimed. "You are adorably predictable."

Lily, clearly annoyed, retorted, "In case you haven't noticed, _Potter_, some professors take off much more than that. And those students were planting dungbombs outside McGonagall's office!"

"Oh, I have noticed. I have." He waved his hand, as if to dissolve her words and continue on to his real point. "It's just the way you said it. Like they ought to be shaking in their shoes, from a little slip of a thing like you…" He broke off, chuckling at the memory of how fearsome and intimidating she had tried to be, though she was scarcely taller than the fourth-years they had apprehended.

Lily, on the other hand, bristled at his insinuation that she was in any way incapable of being a figure of authority. She tossed her head.

"Perhaps they ought to," she said primly. "Size isn't always indicative of power, you know. I could have a great oaf like you disarmed in two seconds, if I wanted to." She was exaggerating, of course, having seen James duel before. It had, unfortunately, been with her ex-best friend, but she had to admit that he was skilled with a wand. Still, she wanted to make a point.

James paused, looking down at her with a smile on his face as though he was surveying a kitten that thinks it's quite ferocious. He was struck by the desire to pat her on the head, but wisely resisted. Instead, he leaned slightly toward her and said, his eyes shining behind his glasses, "I'd like to see that."

There was a momentary standoff and silent battle of wits. Lily briefly considered pulling her wand out and then thought better of it.

"We're supposed to be setting an example, Potter. Not hexing one another like trigger-happy third years." And with that parting shot, she flounced past him, brushing her shoulder against his as she stepped up to the Fat Lady.

"Hey! Evans!"

Lily whirled around. "_What_?" she asked, wondering what on earth Potter thought he could say to her now.

James gave her a lopsided smile and a wink.

"Have a good night," he said. Turning and shoving his hands into his pockets, he headed off to meet his mates in the Kitchen as planned.

Lily lifted her chin and turned back toward the Fat Lady's portrait, unable to quite decide how she felt about her co-Head. She was still fuming as she climbed the staircase to the Girls' Dorms and was very much looking forward to chatting with Mary and Marlene. That was uncomplicated. Her best friends, unlike Potter, did not delight in infuriating her.

As he headed down the stairs, James smiled to himself. _That Evans girl is something else_.

"I think I'm really going to like Patrols..." he muttered as he stepped behind a tapestry concealing a secret passage and made his way down to the Kitchens.


	4. Rivalry Revisited

What had been an eventful first day of classes was, thankfully, followed by a weekend. The students of Hogwarts were unanimously thankful for their school's scheduling quirk which made their first day of classes always fall on September 2, even if that day happened to be a Friday. With only one day's worth of homework hanging over their heads, the students were able to enjoy the remarkably good weather that was currently gracing northern Scotland. Although the air was cool enough to require a jacket or light sweater, Saturday and Sunday were both sunny, with only a few wisps of clouds skittering across the deep blue of the sky. Thus, by the time Monday rolled around, the students had had their fill of outdoor romps and sunshine and were ready to tackle their second week of classes.

First period Defense Against the Dark Arts was a review, just as the first class had been, so when she walked into the Potions classroom for second period, Lily was very glad to see a dozen cauldrons set up and a jumbled collection of bottled potions ingredients sitting on a table beside Professor Slughorn's desk. She glanced at the blackboard, where Slughorn was busily drawing what looked to be a series of illustrations of potions ingredients, followed by a list of instructions. Evidently they were going to do something more than listen to a lecture today.

An excited smile spread over her lips as she walked over and took a seat behind one of the cauldrons. Being an inquisitive, intelligent witch, Lily enjoyed all of her classes, but she particularly relished Potions lessons. It wasn't merely because it was her best subject. There was something thrilling about brewing a potion, for this brand of magic required a certain level of ingenuity and allowed for a remarkable degree of creativity. There was really only one way to cast a good shield charm, but there were a hundred ways to brew a cauldron full of a shrinking solution. Each little variation in the ingredients, the method of brewing, or the time of brewing would produce a slightly different product. Some turned out better than others, and Lily's, of course, usually turned out the best. Having fully grasped the basics of potion-making by the end of her fourth year, Lily had spent the past two years of her academic career perfecting her own particular fashion of brewing a potion. Today's class, to her delight, would provide her another chance to do just that. So it was with a happy little smile that she set her book bag on the floor beside her bench and leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table in front of her, while she began trying to decipher what Slughorn was writing on the blackboard.

Her musings were disrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching and coming to a halt beside her bench. She heard the soft thud of another schoolbag being dropped to the floor, and then a low, tense voice asked, "Mind if I sit here?"

Lifting her chin from where it had been resting on the palms of her hands, Lily looked up and was surprised to see Severus Snape standing beside her bench, waiting for her response with cool, black eyes.

"Oh, er... sure," she fumbled, sliding over on the bench to make room for him. As Severus sat down beside her, she glanced curiously over at him, wondering what had prompted his seating choice this morning. Two years ago, it would have been a normal occurrence. During their friendship in their first five years of school, Lily and Severus had been partners for every class, having discovered early on in their schooling that they were equally interested and equally talented in the subject. But ever since their conversation at the end of Fifth Year in which she had informed Severus that she wanted nothing more to do with him, they had generally found other partners for potions work. The two had rarely spoken since then, although by now Lily's anger towards him had abated into mere frustration with the path he had chosen.

But even though their friendship was in shambles, Lily still felt some affection for the boy who had been her first friend in the wizarding world. And she certainly didn't want to spend the entire class period sitting beside him in an uncomfortable silence, so, finally, she turned towards him and asked, "So how were your summer holidays?"

Severus looked mildly surprised that she had initiated conversation and that she had asked a question to which he was certain she knew the answer. The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly as he responded, "The usual." After a beat, he added, "And yours?"

The minute the question left her mouth, Lily had mentally cringed, remembering that his home life was something Severus had never liked to discuss. In her defense, it had been the only topic she could think of.

"They went well," she answered, venturing a tiny smile. "I'm glad to be back at Hogwarts, though. Isn't it odd to think that this is our last year here?"

"Indeed," he replied absently. There was another beat of silence, and then Severus gestured towards the badge pinned to Lily's chest.

"By the way, I heard on the train that you'd made Head Girl. Congratulations." His mouth twitched again in the faintest of smiles as he spoke. The conversation to which he was referring had been decidedly negative in tone. None of his Slytherin companions had been pleased with the appointment of a "dirty, upstart little Mudblood" to a position of such prestige, and Severus had wisely kept his thoughts on the matter to himself. Now, however, he was free to express his true opinion, and that was one of pride. Were he in Dumbledore's shoes, he would have made the exact same decision. Lily was kind, gracious, intelligent; there was no one better suited to the job. Potter, on the other hand... for Severus had contributed to _that_part of the Slytherins' conversation with relish. The arrogant, obnoxious fool had done nothing to deserve the badge he now wore, and he was certain to spend all year abusing its privileges. Before he could get lost in malicious reverie, Severus realized that Lily was speaking to him again.

"Oh, yes! Thanks," she was saying. "I- well you remember how I wanted the job."

And he did, even though this particular conversation had taken place back in the summer before Fifth Year, when Lily had first received her owl containing her Prefect's badge. He remembered that conversation vividly. She had found him in the neighborhood park where they usually met and rushed over to tell him, cheeks flushed and eyes glowing with excitement. Almost like they were now... Catching himself, he deliberately forced his eyes from hers before she could notice him staring.

"I do," he answered. "And I think the Headmaster made an excellent choice."

Lily was about to reply when the bell rang to signal the start of class, and Professor Slughorn turned around to begin his lesson. Once he had collected the homework assignment (an essay on the magical properties of common Muggle herbs), he began to explain what he had been writing before class began.

"On the board behind me, I have attempted to illustrate a series of plants that those of you who did not do your homework will not recognize. That would be because they are herbs found in kitchen gardens, more commonly in Muggle kitchen gardens." He stepped to the side of the blackboard and gestured at it, asking, "Can anyone name any of them?"

Both Severus and Lily raised their hands, as did a few other class members. Slughorn nodded in Lily's direction, "Ah Miss Evans, of course. Which of these do you recognize?"

"Well that one on the right is peppermint, I think," Lily said. It really was a bit hard to tell, thanks to the poor quality of the drawing. "And the one to the left of it is chamomile. That's all I know."

"The leftmost one is licorice," Severus drawled lazily.

Slughorn waited for any other of his students to identify the remaining two plants. When no responses were forthcoming, he answered his own question, "Excellent, both of you. The other two are arnica and burdock root. Now can anyone tell me why Muggles grow these herbs?"

Lily's hand was, again, the first raised.

"They use them for herbal remedies. As medicine."

"Correct again," Slughorn beamed at his favorite student. "And, even without the aid of other, magical herbs these remedies are sometimes successful. However, they are most effective when their natural properties are combined with those of magical plants, which is why Healers and Mediwizards use them in medicinal potions. In fact, the use of these herbs alongside the magical ones can make your potion either more or less potent, depending on which herbs you add in. So! Your assignment for today is a practical one. I've listed the properties of the five herbs on the board. On the table you'll find samples of each one. Your task is to use any combination of these herbs to enhance the Pepperup Potion, whose instructions are located on page seventy-three of your textbook. You have approximately one hour and nineteen minutes left, which should be plenty of time to accomplish your assignment."

Instantly, the dungeon classroom was filled with the sound of rustling pages, scraping benches and hurried footsteps as the twenty-four students began their assigned task. Lily, who enjoyed these puzzle-like lessons, looked over at Severus with a conspiratorial grin. While the rest of the class began lighting fires beneath their cauldrons or grabbing their new ingredients from the table at the front of the class, she pulled her copy of Advanced Potion-Making from her bag and opened it to page seventy-three. He did the same, and both were silent for a few minutes as they read over the brewing instructions.

"What are you thinking?" he finally asked.

"Well," Lily began, looking up from her book, "The only negative side-effect of a Pepperup Potion is the fact that it makes steam come out your ears. So maybe if we added something with cooling properties, like-"

"Peppermint," Severus interrupted, nodding along and bending his head down towards his textbook to scribble a note in the margin.

"Yes, exactly. And peppermint also has cleansing properties, so I don't think it would make the potion any less potent..."

"Perhaps some chamomile, too. Madame Pomfrey's version does tend to burn the throat a bit as you drink it," he added, still scribbling away.

Lily nodded her agreement and stood up.

"All right. If you get the brewing started, I'll get our extra ingredients." And she hurried off to the table at the front of the classroom, where the Head Boy was currently counting a rather large amount of peppermint leaves into his hand. "Can I get a couple sprigs of that too, Potter?" she asked as she reached for the bottle of chamomile.

She must have startled James, because he promptly dropped the bottle onto the table, sending peppermint sprigs flying everywhere.

"I say, Potter!" Slughorn exclaimed, heaving himself to his feet to clean up the mess. "Watch that you don't go breaking my bottles or you'll be staying after class to clean up the mess."

Lily, who was surprised by the usually mild-mannered Professor's outburst, flashed an apologetic smile at James. She took her requested peppermint from the pile now on the table and headed back to her cauldron, where Severus had the fire beneath it lit and was stirring the water as he waited for it to boil.

"Here we go. Two sprigs of peppermint and one of chamomile," she said, laying them beside the usual ingredients, which he had already laid out. "When should we add them in?"

"The peppermint ought to go in with the ginger root, since that's the side-effect we want to counter," he replied, reading over the instructions in his book again.

Lily nodded and looked over her own textbook.

"We'll add the chamomile last then, since we don't want its effects to linger that long."

With their course of action decided, the pair began slicing and juicing the required ingredients. As they labored over the cauldron, Lily felt the tension between the two of them begin to dissipate. This was familiar territory. In the haze-filled classroom, with a delicate task on which they could both focus, it was easy to forget the shambles of their former friendship and distance that now stood between them. By the time an hour had passed and their potion had begun to give off a faint, orange steam, Lily was fully at ease. Judging by the unusually relaxed posture of Severus' shoulders, he was as well.

"Shall I do the honors?" Lily asked, holding the sprig of chamomile over the cauldron. He nodded, and she dropped it in. Five and a half clockwise stirs later, the potion became a less vibrant shade of orange and gave off far less steam than it had before.

Slughorn, who was making his usual rounds of the classroom to inspect his students' progress, arrived at Severus and Lily's cauldron just in time to witness the transformation.

"What have we here?" he asked, leaning over the steaming cauldron and taking a whiff. "Is that.... peppermint? And something else I can't quite place."

"It's chamomile, sir," Lily explained.

"Ah! To soothe the throat on the way down?" the Potions master asked, a proud smile on his face. Both students nodded and Slughorn pulled out his wand to produce a flask. "Excellent. Excellent. Full marks for both of you. I just might have to save some of this for my next head cold." As he spoke, he siphoned off some of the liquid into the flask, corked it, and moved on to the next pair of students.

Lily shared a congratulatory smile with Severus, and pulled out her wand, holding it poised over the cauldron.

"Before I vanish it, do you want some of our miracle potion for yourself?" she teased. The faintest gleam of mirth shone in the black depths of her former best friend's eyes, but he shook his head. With a shrug, Lily waved her wand over the cauldron, and the liquid inside disappeared.

With her assignment completed, Lily was free to divert her attention elsewhere in the classroom. Professor Slughorn was now two cauldrons away, where he was about to inspect James and Sirius' potion. Remembering James' explanation a few evenings ago of the reason for his exclusion from the Slug Club, Lily's curiosity was piqued. She watched the exchange from behind her cauldron as she packed up her potions kit.

There was no smile on Slughorn's face as he bent over the cauldron and sniffed. After a quick whiff, he glanced briefly at the cauldron contents and asked, "You added peppermint as well, Potter, Black?"

"Yes, sir," James answered.

"Good, good. Full marks to both of you," Slughorn responded, then moved along to the next cauldron.

Lily hid a smile as she watched James' reaction and found herself sympathizing with him for what was possibly the first time. He and Sirius' potion had been essentially the same as hers and Severus', yet it had not received nearly as warm an acclamation. Perhaps there really was something to James' theory about the crystallized pineapple, although she wondered if the Head Boy's penchant for getting in scraps with Slytherins also had something to do with it. Severus, who had also been watching the exchange, of course thought it to be perfectly fair. He wore a satisfied smirk as he set about packing up his own things in anticipation of the bell's ringing at the end of class.

A few minutes later when the bell finally rang, Slughorn, who had by now returned to the front of the class, called out over the sound of scraping benches and shuffling feet, "I expect you to have read the next two chapters in your book by the time you arrive for class on Wednesday." Whether or not all the students had heard him was dubious, but that was their own affair.

Shouldering her school bag, Lily paused for a moment beside the bench and looked at Severus.

"Well, I'll... see you around, I s'pose," she said awkwardly, unsure what else to say. The tension from earlier that morning had returned, as they both knew they had nothing much to say to one another outside the Potions classroom.

Severus opened his mouth as if to say something, but apparently thought better of it.

"See you," he finally said, then picked up his book sack and joined the crowd of students leaving the classroom

Lily stood motionless for a few moments, watching him leave as she tried, again, to discern his motive for asking to sit by her today. Finally she shrugged and left the classroom as well. Severus had always been difficult to read, although he'd been more open with her than with any of his housemates. Perhaps he really had just wanted, as an old friend, to congratulate her. Once she was out in the hallway, she caught sight of James and Sirius leaning against the wall, most likely waiting for their other two compatriots. She paused as she passed by them to comment to James, "You know, I think you were right. Swapping out his crystallized pineapple ruined your chances with Professor Slughorn forever."

James looked up, rather ruffled at being intentionally addressed by Lily. His hand twitched automatically upward, but he fought off the urge to rumple his perpetually untidy black hair.  
"Oh," he said, a smile drifting across his lips, "you know how fussy the man is. And besides, I'd trade the look on his face when he ate that fake pineapple for a schmoozing club any day."

James was trying very hard to appear aloof and uncaring, but the injustice of it all irked him. He would willfully acknowledge the fact that he and Sirius were far from angelic and often spent a good portion of the class cutting up. And yet, he and Sirius had done everything exactly right today, and all they had gotten was a grunt and full marks? It was preposterous. And for salt cubes!

To make matters worse, the boy had been distracted throughout the entire lesson. James was of the opinion that he and Lily had started the year off on a very good foot. But this dissolved rather quickly when that greasy bat Snape had come and sat by her as if he was somehow entitled. That poisonous bloke who called Lily "Mudblood" could apparently waltz right up to her and plunk down beside her as if nothing had ever happened. James was no fool; he knew that there had been a massive falling-out between his favorite girl and the dodgy, hook-nosed boy. It had been tortuous to watch them from his peripheral vision the entire class period as they worked over their cauldron, all cozy and familiar. James had been trying for several years to scrape up those sort of privileges with Lily, but Snape was somehow able to drop her and then scoop her back up again at his leisure.

Lily looked at him curiously, as though she didn't quite believe that the slight Professor Slughorn had given hadn't bothered him. Something was off with the way Potter's arms were crossed, as if he was taking particular care to appear nonchalant. She blinked before continuing, "I s'pose. Still, your potion was just as good as mine and Severus'. He could have at least given the pair of you House points or something."

James felt his temper rising. How on earth could she and Snape still be on a first-name basis after all that had happened between them? It was no secret that they had had some great to-do right after O.W.L.s. Lily had once been spotted by James and his mates crying by herself. Even now, thinking about someone intentionally hurting Lily Evans was enough to get James' wand hand ready. But she had let the Dark Arts-obsessed little weasel worm his way back into her life. And here she was, gloating over her Potions victory! What on earth was she playing at?

"Yeah, well," he said sneeringly. "We can't all be Slughorn's golden children, now can we?"

Something in James' tone made Sirius look over at James and Lily with a mix of amusement and concern, but he kept silent and waited to see what sort of turn the conversation would take.

For her part, Lily was quite taken aback at how quickly the Head Boy had grown hostile. Her cheeks tinged with color as her proffered hand of friendship was so decidedly slapped away, and her own temper flared at the condescention in his voice.

"Yeah," she agreed before she could check herself, "that must be hard for you, Potter. How ever does your enormous ego manage to endure it?"

At this point, Sirius, who had been waiting with James for Remus and Peter to arrive, caught sight of his friends. Without comment, he excused himself to go and watch the show from a safe distance.

It was James' turn to be taken aback. Though he was admittedly being far less than sweet to the girl, he wondered where on earth her venom came from.  
"_My_ ego?" he scoffed. "Oh, dear little miss. You flatter me. You came over here for congratulations on being proven class favorite again? Well, here you are. 'Grats. We're all so very proud of the Unstoppable Potions Duo."  
James' tone nearly dripped with sarcasm as he tried very hard to mask the tinge of hurt he felt at the fact that Snape, of all people, was allowed to waltz in and out of her life whenever he pleased.

Lily's eyes widened at the shock of his outburst, then narrowed in anger at being called a teacher's pet. Of all the ignorant, self-righteous prats! Quite tempted to stamp her foot, she opened her mouth to respond;  
"You're pathetic! Throwing a little hissy fit all because someone in this school isn't worshiping the ground you walk on?"

Fifteen feet away, Sirius nudged Remus.  
"Someone better pull them apart…" he muttered.

James rolled his eyes. "Stuff it, Evans" he said, wanting very much for this interaction to be over.

Lily, however, was unwilling to let this blatant immaturity go without censure. Truth be told, she had been waiting for something like this to happen ever since she had run into the Potters in Diagon Alley. Now that she had even the slightest excuse, she was more than ready to release her frustration at the tousle-haired lad who, in her opinion, was hell-bent on squandering his talents for petty thrills.  
"Did you ever stop to think, _Potter_, that not everyone is impressed by the ridiculous number of childish pranks you can manage to pull in one year?"

James' jaw grew taut and his teeth clenched together, but Lily was not finished.  
"Or by the number of times you can disrupt a class with your so-called 'witty' commentary?" Lily's hands were balled into angry fists.

James scarcely heard her. In fact, he was trying his best to ignore the grievances she was laying against him. Pulling pranks and cracking jokes were hardly Unforgivables. He looked down at his wrist, pretending to check his watch.  
"Can we keep this one short?" he asked casually. "I've got to host Quidditch trials sometime _next week_."

Remus glanced at Sirius.  
"You know, mate," he said quietly, "we really ought to grab him before he does some irreparable damage."

Lily had opened her mouth to continue haranguing him, but was stopped short by his comment. Her face flushed. Was he really so arrogant to think she had nothing better to do than nag at him? Her temper rose higher.  
"Fine!" she snapped. "See if I ever try to sympathize with you again, you prat! Clearly, all you care about is having people hero-worship you."

"Oh," James countered, "this was _sympathy_, was it? I don't need or want your pity, Evans. I got full marks in there, same as you. You're just all puffed up because some Professor patted you on the head and told you how good you are."

Sirius, who had been watching this last exchange with something akin to fascination on his face, turned to Remus.  
"Come on, one more minute. He's getting really worked up. Our friend Prongs here sure has a way with the lady-folk…"

Peter, who was watching with interest and wondering how this exchange fit in with Prongs' plan to win Evans over, nodded his agreement with Sirius. With a sigh, Remus resigned himself to watching James commit relationship suicide. And they had been so civil to each other the past few days! It was a shame, really.

Lily's voice rose as her anger peaked.  
"My God, you're such a baby, Potter! I can't believe I have to work with you all -damn- year!"

James began speaking before Lily had a chance to finish.  
"Oh, don't act such a martyr, Evans." He shook his head in disgust and made to head toward his mates. "Give my best to _Snivellus_, why don't you?"

Lily's jaw dropped.

"Is _that_ what this is all about? I talk to someone you don't like and now you're throwing a temper tantrum over it? Since when do you have any say in who I talk to?"

James could feel his guard crack a little as she cottoned on to what was digging at him. He felt himself go a bit red. It was such a bother, though, how flighty she was. The first few days of term had been so pleasant. James had been sure he was making progress with her. But then, she had to go acting all cuddly with Snape, who everyone knew she wasn't even friends with anymore. Could the girl not make up her mind? And that look Snape had given him while Lily had been adding the chamomile to her potion: that sneering, victorious, smug look! James could scarcely bear it.  
"Can't you just be consistent for five minutes?" he asked, wishing fervently that he hadn't said anything to her at all to begin with. He wished he and his mates had simply headed off to lunch. That he had made some funny comment to Lily instead of fighting with her in a hallway in front of a slowly growing group of underclassmen.

She stared at him.  
"What the _hell_, Potter?" she asked, completely confused by his question. Someone tittered, and Lily became suddenly and embarrassingly aware of the small crowd of students who had gathered to watch an apparent showdown between the two Head Students.

James made a gesture as if to brush her aside. He had made it as plain as day that he thought Snape was no good, especially for someone like her who was so very clever and wonderful. If she didn't understand, he wasn't going to explain it to her.

"I'll see you around, Evans," he said, his voice once more guarded and controlled.

Lily's face flushed one shade darker as she was so cursorily dismissed.  
"Whatever," she said, though there were many other things she would have liked to yell at the boy's stupid face. Instead, she turned on her heel and flounced off to find Marlene and Mary in the Great Hall as James stalked in the opposite direction toward his mates.

"C'mon," James said sourly as the four boys wove through the quickly dissipating crowd.

"Well, James," said Sirius after a few moments. "You really made an arse of yourself.

Remus, who hadn't been in Potions for the beginning of the tiff, asked quietly, "What was that all about, anyway?"

James was first to answer.  
"She's ridiculous."

Sirius leaned toward Remus to translate.  
"Snivellus plus Evans equals Potions partners, equals pissy Prongss."

Remus' brows rose as he comprehended.  
"Oh…" he said, glancing over at James. He wondered if it would help to remind James that ragging on Lily about Snape was not the best way to get into her good graces but decided against it.

As they strode down the hall, James could feel his anger start to ebb.  
"She's just… and _him_! I dunno what she sees…" The rest was lost to grumbling.

Remus interrupted gently.  
"It isn't as though they're best friends anymore," he said. "She was probably just being nice to him…"

Sirius shook his head.  
"I'm with you, James," he piped in. "Scuzzy bloke needs to know when to just piss off."

Remus scarcely held back a sigh.  
"And yet, somehow, yelling that at Evans won't make her like you any more."

James bristled.  
"Well, I didn't ask her to come traipsing up to me to rub it in my face."

Peter frowned.  
"I thought she wanted to talk to you about Professor Slughorn..."

James adjusted his bag with a bit more enthusiasm than was necessary, as this very thought was just now occurring to him.  
"Do us a favor, lads, and let s _not_ go over it again?"

Peter shrugged.  
"Right," he said. "Can we hurry it up instead? I'm starving, and I hear there's shepherd's pie for lunch."

Remus nodded his assent, and after the boys had dropped their things off in Gryffindor Tower, they headed downstairs for lunch. On their way to their usual spot in the middle of things, they passed by a familiar red-haired girl having a very animated conversation with her two best friends.

"I simply can't believe him! I should have known it wouldn't take long for Potter to become the world's greatest prat again!"

James' ears burned and he tried his best to keep his focus on the table ahead. Remus accidentally brushed against Lily's back as they passed, and she glanced up, feeling instantly guilty at having been caught speaking about someone behind their back, even if it was Potter. She was determined not to look over at him, however, lest he inspire some other anger within her that would come bubbling to the surface.

Marlene's expression softened across the table as she watched Lily's cheeks blush red.  
"Oh, my dear," she said consolingly. "It'll be all right. Can't you see he's just jealous?"

"Jealous of what?" Lily asked, now taking special care to ensure that her voice was lowered by an octave and several decibels. "The boy is completely mental. And such a child! A spoilt little petulant brat."

"Lily, we know," said Mary with a knowing look at Marlene. "But try and forget it happened. Maybe there was a miscommunication or something."

Lily shook her head, a curious pricking at the corners of her eyes.  
"He said what he wanted _very_ clearly." She inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. "I just don't understand what everyone seems to see in him! I mean, I thought for about thirty seconds the other night after patrols that you know, maybe Potter is all right. Merlin's beard, was I ever wrong!"

Marlene reached across the table, patting Lily on the hand. She snuck a glance down the table, where a very glum looking Head Boy was poking at the food on his plate.

_Poor Lily_, she thought, looking back at her friend with sympathy etched on every feature of her face. _And poor James._


	5. Charms and the Catapults

The next morning, James awoke feeling just as refreshed as he usually did - though, as he wasn't a morning person, this wasn't saying much. Yesterday's squabble with the Head Girl was not forgotten, but he had put it behind him. His temper may have been quick to flare, but it faded just as quickly; that and he had gotten into so many fights with Lily Evans over the years that by now he was somewhat used to it. So, as he shuffled about the dormitory room, dressing himself for the day, it was with his usual lack of conscious effort. Once his glasses were on and his clothes were all properly buttoned, he ran a hand through his hair and, with a yawn, made his way downstairs to the Great Hall. Peter, who was an early riser, was already seated at the Gryffindor table. James joined him, and within ten minutes Remus and Sirius had arrived as well. The boys' conversation was somewhat stilted until they all had enough food in their systems to fuel their usual lively banter.

Breakfast was interrupted, as was commonplace at the magical academy, by a flurry of owls bringing students and teachers copies of _The Daily Prophet_, letters from home, or else magical magazine subscriptions. Being an only child, James Potter was accustomed to receiving a letter from his parents several times per term. Good manners and a fond upbringing had taught him to do the same. Typically, his parents' letters brought reports of their social interactions or subtle reprimands concerning his at-school behavior. However, on this mild September morning, the letter he received held none of that. His improvised egg-and-toast-and-kipper sandwich was interrupted by a heavy parchment envelope dropping directly into his tea. He looked up, catching sight of his parents' barn owl, Hawthorne, soaring out of the large windows and off toward the Owlrey.

"Damn bird," he grumbled, forsaking his breakfast to pick the letter out of his drink, drying it off as best he could with a napkin and hoping the ink had not run. He broke the seal and folded the parchment open, tapping his wand on the slightly smeared ink as he read. It was not an especially long letter, but he read eagerly.

_Dear Jane;_

_How has the first week of classes gone, my dear? We've missed you at home, and Sirius too! Things have gotten back to their usual quietness, though neither your father nor myself could say we prefer it thus. _

"What's the news from Mum and Da?" interrupted Sirius, peering over James' shoulder interestedly. "HA! She called you 'Jane!' What did you do that she forgot she's got a boy, and not a girl? It's all your mooning over Evans over there-" he said, jerking his chin toward the sleepy-eyed redhead who sat a few meters away, sipping from a steaming mug of tea. James' gaze flicked toward Lily Evans and then back to the paper with the scarce-contained pleasure. Though it was habitual by now, James could not help but get excited at small bits of sweetness, such as letters from home. He had received dozens throughout his years at school, and yet getting mail never ceased to excite him.

_I thought I would drop Betsy Evans a letter to thank her for allowing us to invade her time with her daughter on our last visit to Diagon Alley. Do you happen to know her address? Though I am sure our owl would be more than capable of finding the addressee, I still sometimes fear relying too much on poor Hawthorne, due to his age. But, again, as for Mrs. Evans: I should very much like to see her again sometime. I was so very taken with her and her daughter! Both were exceptionally well-mannered, especially for Muggles. And her daughter had such lovely features! I might add, dearest son of mine, that if my motherly intuition serves me right, the redness of your ears and slight stammer indicates that you feel quite the same. It's no wonder you have a fancy for the girl. _

Sirius nudged James. "See?" he asked, a grin plastered across his handsome face. "If there's one thing you fail at, Prongs, it's subtlety."

"Stuff it," James replied, good-naturedly, taking the opportunity to look down the table toward the girl in question. His ears were indeed red at his mother's mention of Lily's beauty, though he felt an accompanying sense of pride at her words. His emotional buoyancy was quickly dashed, however, as he was caught staring. Lily's eyes widened, apparently startled, but then she turned back to her breakfast. James fought to suppress a sigh. Girls happened to be some of the most complex and difficult of all the known creatures of both Muggle and magical worlds. They had been getting along so well...

"You're doing it again," Sirius said, interrupting James' brief reverie. "Read your letter, not your redhead."

_On a more somber note: your father and I had the unhappy duty of attending a funeral this past week. Of course, you remember my dear friend Maybelle Whitley? She passed, I am sad to mention. She used to love to dandle you on her knees when you were small! At any rate, she had been doing poorly after a bout of dragon pox and simply wasn't the same when she returned from St. Mungo's. I went to visit her several times; we were at Hogwarts together, though not in the same house. It was a quiet funeral, and as nice as one can be, I suppose. But, on our way out of the parlour, your father happened to run across an old colleague of his, and so this weekend, we shall be entertaining. It won't be quite as exciting as when you and the boys are home, but we shall surely try! We might be old, but we've still got a bit of spirit left._

This paragraph made James slightly uncomfortable. Though the fact that his parents were old was not precisely a secret, he still felt a certain uneasiness about death. It was especially sad how his parents were being winnowed out as the last of their contemporaries. Thankfully, his mother moved on to lighter fare as her letter began to wrap up.

_At any rate, dear one, I hope this letter finds you well, and that your Head Boy duties and Quidditch captaincy are not causing you undue stress. Your father and I love you and are very proud of you- especially since this is the first time in your years at Hogwarts we have not yet received a letter home concerning some mischief you and your friends have gotten up to! We love you and miss you._

_Love forever, _

_-Mum_

James smiled as he read the last bit of her letter, content at the affirmation offered by his parents. Sirius, upon finding that this letter held nothing of particular interest, had long since gone back to his toast, and James was free to mull over its contents at his leisure. There was that odd little thing, right at the beginning, when his mother had accidentally addressed her own son as "Jane." It was very strange indeed, though after thinking about it, the tousle-haired boy remembered that his mother's sister, who had died when he himself was only a small boy, had been called "Jane." His mother must have had written the incorrect name out of habit. He turned his attention back to his breakfast, which was now quite cold but still edible, and made short work of it, ignoring Sirius' falsetto impersonation of his mother's voice as he insistently called James 'Jane' throughout the rest of breakfast. Before they knew it, the bell was ringing for their first class, and all four lads headed off to Transfiguration.

Though Lily did not make a habit of chatting with him before or during class, James noticed that his favorite redhead was trying particularly hard to pretend he was not there this morning. He sighed inwardly, realizing that she must still be miffed about their argument from yesterday and that he would probably have to be the one to bridge the gap this time. He and his mates had not discussed the incident further, but after Peter's comment yesterday, the thought had occurred to James that he may have been on a bit hard on Lily when she was, possibly, only trying to commiserate with him about his unfair treatment in the Potions classroom. If this was the case, the ball was in his proverbial court.

Fortunately, they both had a free period after Transfiguration, which meant he had an opportunity to patch things up with her. Last night, before going to bed, James had spent the better part of half an hour drawing up a tentative patrols schedule. It was fairly simple to do once he got started. There were twenty-four Prefects, plus himself and Lily, which made thirteen pairs. Every evening had two patrol shifts: from seven to nine and from nine to eleven. He had been a bit stumped once he realized that there were fourteen patrols to be done each week and only thirteen pairs of Prefects to do them, but he had surmised that either Filch or the professors must take turns filling in the empty spot.

As he stepped through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, on his way back from Transfiguration, he was very glad that he'd taken the time to work out a schedule last night, as it gave him a sort of olive branch to wave in Lily's direction. He straightened and scanned the common room until his eyes caught the familiar gleam of red hair across the room. She was curled up in one of the window seats of the tower room, a place that James surmised must be her favorite spot, since she sat there so often. Gathering his courage, he fixed a smile on his face, straightened his shoulders, and walked over to her.

"Hey Evans. What are you reading?" he asked, pulling out of his pocket the folded parchment paper on which the patrol schedule was written.

Lily had been entirely engrossed in the book on her lap and thus had not noticed his approach. She jumped ever so slightly when he spoke, recognizing his voice immediately.

"It's for Herbology," she said, keeping her eyes fixed determinedly on the page and trying to keep her voice as level as possible, "and I only have an hour left to finish reading it."

James was a bit surprised at her cool reception. He hadn't realized she was still _that_ miffed.

"Oh.. well, I won't er.. keep you, I guess," he faltered. "I just wanted to know if you had a patrols night preference."

"A what?" she asked, looking up at him in curiosity.

He held up the folded parchment in his hand.

"Well, I was making the patrols rotation for this month, and wanted to know what night works best for you to do it..," he explained. "But I mean, since you're busy and things.."

James let his hand drop and was halfway turned to leave when Lily stopped him by reaching for the paper.

"You were?" she asked, unable to keep all the disbelief out of her tone. In her surprise to learn that he had made of a schedule of his own accord, she forgot that she was still angry with him. Her tone and demeanor softened.

"I er.. any night's fine, really. It's not as though I'll have less homework to do on any one of them."

"Okay, so how's Thursday nights from nine to eleven?" James asked, smiling tentatively down at her. It appeared his peace offering was going to be well-accepted.

"Oh yeah and what were the names of the Slytherin fifth year Prefects? I still have to add them in."

"Thursday's fine," Lily replied, opening up the parchment to inspect what he had done. "And the Slytherin fifth years are Regulus Black and Evelyn Parkinson."

"Funny how it didn't click that it's Padfoot's brother," James mumbled to himself.

Lily, who was busy writing the aforementioned names in the only blank spot left in the schedule, did not hear his comment. Once the patrol schedule was completed, she was silent a few moments, staring down at the parchment in her hands. She was now forced to admit to herself that she had been expecting the worst of James: that she would have to drag him into fulfilling all of his responsibilities, and she was now thrown off-kilter by the fact that he had taken initiative. So, swallowing her pride, she looked up at the Head Boy with a hint of apology in her smile.

"Thanks for doing this," she said, handing the paper back to him. "I guess we'll need to call another Prefects' meeting so we can give them their real Patrols schedule."

"Yeah a meeting would be a good idea," he agreed, returning the smile. "Does Friday work for you?"

"After dinner? Yeah."

"It's a date," he grinned.

Lily's eyes narrowed, but she refrained from commenting on his insinuation, preferring to keep the peace they had just reestablished.

"We have to decide on Hogsmeade weekends and tutoring schedules eventually," was all she said.

"Oh right. Well I wanted a weekend soon, and I'm sure all the seventh-years feel the same. Works been so crazy, you know? And that essay for Flitwick was extremely tedious.." He shook his head and grinned teasingly down at her, adding, "M'sorry, you've got to do your reading. Never pegged you to procrastinate, Evans."

"A September weekend might be nice," the Head Girl replied, chewing idly on her bottom lip as she thought. "Hopefully the weather will still be pleasant then. Maybe.. the last weekend of the month? That gives us time to make announcements for it. And clear the date with Dumbledore of course."

Lily, who was quite adept at Charms, shrugged off the comment about Flitwick's essay, "I dunno. It was fairly simple to me, just a lot to write about." James' last jibe about procrastination caused her to roll her eyes, but she set aside her book and turned in her seat to face him better. "It's okay. It won't take me that long to read. I spent too long on that essay last night is all."

James stared at her in blatant admiration.

"Hang on- you got that essay? On the transient properties of creation versus destruction charms?" he asked incredulously, having been rather perplexed himself. He sucked in a breath and muttered, "Merlin, girl. You're brill."

Lily felt her cheeks staining a bright red, so she shook off the compliment and changed the subject.

"Just good at Charms is all. So. Hogsmeade weekends. If you know the schedule for all the Quidditch games already, that'd be helpful. That way we'll know which six weekends are already out of the running." She assumed that James, as Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain would have all of this information already. Knowing him, he had the year's schedule memorized, as well as stats on all four house teams.

Much to his embarrassment, however, James could not for the life of him remember any of the dates. He knew the season began in November and ended in May, but the specifics were entirely wiped from his mind as Lily asked. He looked upwards, as if the dates had somehow been magically scribed on the ceiling.

"You know," he said sheepishly, "I can't remember them all off the top of my head, funnily enough. Can I get back to you on that one?"

Lily looked surprised, but she shrugged.

"Oh... sure. We don't have to decide everything right away."

"I mean, it's on a schedule I got with this year's letter," he continued. "I just can't think past trials. We're looking to place half the team this year- did you know?"

She shook her head.

"Nope. So... is that bad?" She didn't really know much about Quidditch besides what she had learned in the last six years of cheering on the Gryffindor team.

He laughed.

"Well, maybe. We barely scraped the Cup last year, I don't mind admitting. Mainly, we need a Keeper. You don't play, do you?" The last part was said in jest, as James was fully aware that Lily had no training on the pitch.

"Nope. Sorry," she answered, laughing along with him. "I never really learned much about flying besides those basic lessons we got at the beginning of First Year."

"Really? It's the best sport in the world, Quidditch," James responded, his eyes shining with boyish excitement as he discussed his favorite sport. "And flying is so good for stress relief. S'where you can always find me right before some big exam. There's really nothing like it."

Lily, who did not fully share his obvious enthusiasm for the sport, did not really know what to say, so she merely smiled and agreed, "Yeah.."

After a beat, James seemed to recover himself.

"...So... I'll get those dates for you, and we'll do the Hogsmeade weekends and... yeah."

She nodded.

"And I'll spread the word to the Prefects about the meeting Friday night. Think we can have the Hogsmeade weekends ready by then?"

"Oh, easily," he answered, flashing her a smile.

"Great," Lily replied, picking up her Herbology textbook again. "Well I really do need to finish reading this.."

"Oh, yeah, of course," he said and, much to his chagrin, somehow managed to trip himself up as he turned to go.

Lily politely refrained from laughing at him, but she couldn't help teasing, "Don't go injuring yourself before the season's even started."

James turned back toward her, his ears bright red, and attempted to play off his (literal) misstep as best he could.

"Oh yeah, you too."

His ears tinged an even darker shade as he hurried away, wondering what the hell he had meant by adding "you too." The boy, who was always able to talk his way out of trouble with his peers and authority figures, was somehow often rendered incoherent in the presence of the lovely redhead. In fact, a large percentage of their past squabbles could be attributed to the fact that James seemed unable to keep his foot out of his mouth when in conversation with Lily Evans.

_Oh well_, he reasoned to himself as he sprawled out on his favorite couch in the center of the common room. _At least she's not mad at you anymore this time._

The next couple of weeks passed smoothly and swiftly, as the students settled down into the routine of academic life. Quidditch trials took place in the second week of school, giving James a chance to fill out the missing spots in his roster. He was quite pleased with his new recruits and, after seeing the whole team fly together in their first practice of the year, felt extremely confident that the Quidditch Cup would be Gryffindor's again this year. He and the other two Chasers (who were both sixth years) had been playing together for the past two years and now flew as a cohesive unit. Jordan Brumley, a fifth year who had tried out unsuccessfully for Seeker last year, must have been practicing over the summer; his trial this year was nearly perfect. James had also found another Beater to play alongside Sirius: a short but burly fellow named Joshua Finch who had very good aim with his Beater's bat. The only other player he had needed was a Keeper, and he had found the perfect replacement in Nancy O'Donnell, a fourth year with a thick Irish brogue who was adept at remaining on her broomstick while performing various acrobatics to keep the Quaffle from going through one of her goal hoops. Yes, his chances of securing another Quidditch Cup were looking very good indeed.

One particular September evening, having just returned from another successful practice, James was taking a break from his various responsibilities and lounging on the sofa with a book in his hands. He was so absorbed in his reading that he did not notice the Head Girl had approached him until she cleared her throat and asked, "Potter? Can I have a word?"

Startled by the interruption, he jerked his head up, glasses askew, "Hm?"

Hazel eyes widened ever so slightly as he recognized Lily standing beside his couch, her arms crossed over the library book that she was clutching against her chest and an expression of vague apprehension on her lovely face. This latter observation he chose to ignore, as he closed his book and happily gave her his full attention.

"Oh for you, Evans, anything."

Lily chose to ignore this implications of this comment, something she had begun to do more frequently of late. She had learned over the past two and a half weeks of working with him that things were much easier if she refrained from jumping on every comment James made that could be interpreted as flirtatious. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if he even knew what he was saying most of the time. Perhaps he'd been trying to flirt with her for so long that it now came as naturally to him as breathing. In any case, she did not want to get into that sort of discussion right now. It was bad enough that she had to ask Potter for help on a school assignment, but there was really no one else to turn to for help. She had spent the past two hours in the library trying to understand the concept they had just learned in Transfiguration, but to no avail. When she had asked Remus, her usual study buddy, for his help, he had been just as lost as she was. It was Remus who had suggested that she ask the Head Boy, and so Lily, who for some reason found it hard to stomach the idea of asking James Potter for academic assistance, had trudged back to the Gryffindor Common Room in search of him.

That was why she looked so uncomfortable as she stood beside his couch, fiddling with the strap of the school bag slung over her right shoulder, and explained the reason for her unusual request. "Thanks. Er.. I just had a question about the Transfiguration essay that Remus said you might be able to help me with."

James grinned; inside, he was jumping for joy at the fact that Lily Evans had actually come to him for help with something. Surely this was forward progress! Yet he couldn't resist teasing her a bit.

"Is this some underhanded plot to get me all alone and vulnerable so you can jump me?"

Predictably, her response was a scowl and a quick retort: "You really need to see someone about these delusions you keep having. All those Dungbombs you've set off over the years must have finally gotten to you."

"Yes, well. Lucky for me, there's a support group that meets in classroom three every Monday at midnight," he replied, shrugging off her biting retort. "What question have you got?"

"Um..," she hesitated a moment then perched herself on the arm of the couch and pulled her textbook from her schoolbag.

"Just about the theory, I guess," she said, thumbing to the correct chapter. "We're supposed to be proving why it's harder to transfigure an animate object into an inanimate object and back into an animate one than it is to just transfigure an inanimate object into an animate one. But.. I don't see why that's so."

He considered her question for a moment, scratched the back of his neck and closed his eyes.

"Well, you see," he began, opening his eyes and turning to settle into a more comfortable position on the couch as he faced Lily. "It has to do largely with a bit of logic. You can enchant something to move, can't you? Like if I wanted to, I could transfigure a book into a cat. But a book is considered an inanimate object. I have simply taken it from its original state of non-being, and made it be. At its core, the cat has no soul. You can't conjure an abstraction like that, even if you're Dumbledore or even Merlin. It's just not possible. So, in the same sense, I can take a stray off the street and turn it in to a bookcase. It, because it is a being, would become a bookcase with an abstraction attached to it. Like a soul."

He paused for a moment, realizing that he had been rambling on, and queried, "Am I confusing you further?"

"No. I think I get it," answered Lily, who had been listening with her brow furrowed and her gaze fixed on the relevant text in the book. "So you mean the difficulty lies in the soul part? Because an inanimate object wouldn't naturally have a soul, but if it has been transfigured from a natural one, it does? So when you want to transfigure it back into an animate object, you have to make sure to give it its soul back properly too?"

James grinned, pleased that she was catching on that quickly and that he had been able to explain the concept so well.

"Well, the soul doesn't go anywhere. It can't simply fly off for a pint at the Three Broomsticks. An abstraction is still attached, regardless of form. And so, in creating the appearance of life, you cannot create _real_ life. Your creation, though magical, is yet a sham in its most basic sense."

"Uh huh," Lily agreed, nodding along and shutting her textbook. "So that would mean that it's easier to turn a plant into a teapot and back into a plant than it is to turn a cat into a teapot and back into a cat, right? Because plants are.. erm.. less-souled than cats?"

With a wry grin, she added, "According to non-hippies, I mean."

He laughed.

"Careful what you say. Remember that Trelawney chick from when we were fourth years? She would just about have a fit. But, according to the theory, yes."

"Yeah. She probably would've. Or just accosted me in the hallway and forced me to listen to her prediction of my gruesome impending death."

With a smile, Lily returned her book to her school bag and stood up. "Well.... thanks. You know, from the small amount of notes you take in class, I would never have guessed you knew all of this."

James chuckled again and lounged back against the couch cushion, resting his hands behind his head.

"Notes arent everything, Miss Evans. I dunno. Me and Transfiguration just kinna click." He gave her a half-smile and continued, "Thanks, though. Lemme know if you need any help with anything else."

"Evidently you do," she replied. "Yeah I will. Thanks again."

Shouldering her bag, she turned as if to leave, but then paused and asked, "Say, how's the Quidditch team coming along? I hear you found some great new players."

"Oh. Yeah!" he answered, surprised, but very glad, that she was still hanging around to talk to him. As interesting as his book was, conversation with his favorite redhead was infinitely more so. "It's going swimmingly. Quidditch Cup's in the bag this year."

"Yeah?" Lily responded. "Well.. good. I can't wait to watch the first match."

"You won't be disappointed," he promised. "We're playing Ravenclaw, and they haven't had a decent Keeper since fifth year."

"Even better," she said. "So far, our chances look good!"

James grinned.

"There's a League scout rumoured to be coming to see the final in May. I've got my fingers crossed, at least. Can you imagining playing for a pro team? Or England? Merlin, I'd die for the chance."

"Oooo that _would_ be brilliant," she replied. It was easy to imagine him making a career out of the sport he loved so much. But, lest she increase his already sizable ego, she smirked at him and teased, "Hope you make it to the Quidditch Final then."

"Hah, thanks....," he laughed. After a pause, he inquired, "Have you ever been to a professional match? Like the League, or a World Cup?"

"Oh.. no. I don't really follow Quidditch outside of school. I mean, I didn't know it existed until I came to Hogwarts."

He seemed genuinely surprised to hear that anyone wasn't as enraptured by the sport as he was.

"Really? Oh, well I suppose that makes sense. I'll have to take you to a Catapults match sometime - if you think Hogwarts matches are fun, you won't believe the real time."

Lily was silent for a moment, suddenly nervous at the turn their conversation had taken. Was he aware that he had essentially asked her out again? She glanced cautiously up at his face, but the Head Boy did not appear to understand the implications of what he'd just said. Rather than comment on it, she chose to divert the conversation.

"I'm guessing the Catapults are your favorite pro team?"

"Two-time World Champions and last year's winner of the British League Championship," he replied proudly.

"Nice," Lily commented, unsure what else to say. After a slightly awkward pause, she shrugged and said, "Well I'll let you get back to your reading." With that, she turned 'round and crossed the common room to her favorite window seat, where she began work on her Transfiguration essay.

James watched her walk away, not bothering to keep the grin off his face (or his eyes above her waist) now that her back was to him. Yes, the semester was progressing very well indeed. His schoolwork was not yet at an atrociously high level. He had his mates and his brilliant Quidditch team to keep his mind sufficiently distracted from his lessons. And, best yet, the girl of his dreams seemed to be warming up to him. With the happy grin still on his face, he picked up his book again and resumed his reading.


	6. The Other Woman

The further the term progressed, the less free her Tuesday and Thursday morning free periods became. This particular Thursday morning, Lily was ensconced in the back corner of the Hogwarts Library, researching for her Defense essay on the history of curses. Wizards and witches had been cursing one another for thousands of years, and according to Professor Killeborn, it was necessary for the N.E.W.T.-level Defense Against the Dark Arts students to understand this long and complex history. Apparently, understanding the history and development of certain frequently-used curses would be helpful in defending oneself against them. For her part, Lily thought this was a particularly morbid subject on which to write a thirty-inch essay, but that did not excuse her from completing the assignment, so here she was.

Once she had accumulated a sufficiently high enough stack of books from which to research, Lily wandered out of the stacks to begin her essay. As she set her books down on a corner table, her attention was caught by a familiar mop of jet black hair. Potter was in the library? What _was_ the world coming to? She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen him there before. Her curiosity piqued, Lily kept her eye on him as she opened the book on top of her stack. From this distance, she couldn't see what he was reading, but within a few minutes his purpose in the library became clear.

She watched as a small, mousy-haired boy walked over to the Head Boy's table and, rather nervously, set his school bag upon it. Words were exchanged, though Lily couldn't hear them, but suddenly she understood. Of course. This must have been one of Potter's tutoring pupils. They and the rest of the Prefects were each required to allot two hours per week for tutoring any students who might need extra help with their lessons. Lily herself was scheduled to tutor an hour of Potions and an hour of Charms every Monday and Wednesday, respectively. Now that the mystery was solved, she returned her eyes to her book, although it must be said that her attention was somewhat distracted for the next hour.

Several meters away, James leaned forward to take from the small boy, whose name was Evan Ramsey, his essay on basic transfiguration. The little boy sat shifting nervously in his seat, his large brown eyes cast down toward the tabletop. Professor McGonagall had recommended the boy for student tutoring, as he wasn't as far behind as Remedial Lessons required, but rather needed a bit of a helping hand as far as the governing principles were concerned. While students were able to make appointments with tutors if there was a subject with which they struggled, Professors also could submit to a specific tutor names of others who needed a certain kind of help. James had noticed almost immediately that little Evan Ramsey was more than a bit on the shy side and wasn't particularly enthusiastic about asking for help. The boy often blushed when James asked him a specific question and constantly apologized for his incorrect answers. In the two weeks James had been tutoring Evan, he had grown to like him. Well, as much as one _can_ like a mousy twelve-year-old, at least.

Though Madame Pince would happily disembowel James if he broke any of the Library rules (as she had often promised him throughout his years at school), tutors were afforded a small degree of leniency with the Absolutely No Talking rule.  
"So, how has your week gone?" James asked as he began to scan the younger boy's essay.

"Oh," replied Evan in the high, airy voice associated with boyhood. "Erm.. it's been good. I got an 'A' in Herbology practicum last week.." He looked nervously around, as if someone would hear him boast. "And my mum wrote me a letter." He looked back up at James, a nervous smile twitching across his features.

James returned the expression, surveying the extremely jumpy boy with masked concern. "A letter?" he asked. "That's nice. I got one from my mum, too." He continued to read, trying to think of ways to get the young Hufflepuff second-year to calm down a bit. For now, he decided to get the work part out of the way.

He read aloud the little boy's essay, which was filled with cross-outs and inkblots, and tried his best to gently correct his mistakes, throwing in little jokes as best he could to try and alleviate the boy's nervousness.

"You know," James said, as he finished correcting the paragraph on Evan's paper on simple wood-to-metal changes. "You're a really good writer, I think. You've just.. Well, there are some facts and concepts you just haven't quite worked out yet." The poor boy was really having a block about Transfiguration, James realized, and quickly offered to meet with Evan Ramsey every Tuesday and Thursday in order to help boost the second-year's skill.

Evan scratched at his hairline, where a cowlick stubbornly forced his hair straight up. "Erm.." he said. "Yes, please. And thank you, sir."

James laughed. "Oh, come on, now," he said, shaking his head. "I'm only a few years older than you. I'm no 'sir'."

Evan blushed and then visibly relaxed. "Okay, so, I can come back on Tuesday, and you'll help me?"

James nodded, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "That's usually how it works, yeah," he said before turning his attention back to the boy's twelve inches of writing.

By the time half an hour had passed, Evan Ramsey had made considerable progress in his Transfiguration work, but the same could not be said for the Head Girl and her essay. Hard as she had tried to concentrate on the historical tomes in front of her, Lily's gaze had kept straying back to the tutoring session across the room. Of course she would have been extremely embarrassed had she been caught staring, but somehow she found it hard not to watch the pint-sized Hufflepuff interact with her co-Head, who looked rather like a giant in comparison.

The picture they made was -and she would never admit this to anyone- endearing. The longer she watched, the more Lily began to remark on the fact that James Potter actually had redeeming qualities. Really, if she thought about it, these first three weeks of working alongside him had gone remarkably smoothly. Thus far, he hadn't been neglecting his responsibilities or abusing his power. In fact, right now it looked like he was using it to help one of the most precious little Hufflepuffs she had ever seen. And he had been quite helpful last night with her own Transfiguration question. Aside from that argument in the beginning of the term, they were getting on very well; in fact, she was hopeful that this year of working alongside him would be a pleasant one, not the horror she'd first thought it would be.

She was busy musing over this new hopefulness when she realized that the Hufflepuff boy had left. Before she could turn her head and invest her attention fully into her research, another Hufflepuff student approached James' table, presumably for tutoring. This one, however, was a far cry from the nervous, shabby little boy; if Lily didn't miss her guess, this next tutoring student had actually dressed up for the occasion. Or perhaps forgotten to dress was a more accurate description. She had at least forgotten about the top few buttons on her blouse, although the way she flounced into her seat and brazenly leaned forward across the table would seem to suggest that she had dressed this way on purpose. Oh, this was going to be good. Picking up the second book from her stack, Lily shifted in her seat so that she could more easily watch the tutoring session across the room while she pretended to do her research.

After James had bid Evan goodbye until the following Tuesday, he brought out an essay of his own and considered starting on it. However, he was interrupted from his pseudo-productivity by the appearance of another student requiring tutoring. A bright-blonde girl flounced into the library and sat down across from him, beaming all the while. James recognized her as Leslie Olcott, one of the sixth-year Hufflepuff girls who had designated themselves to be the school's more enthusiastic Quidditch fans. These particular girls did not shy away from any sort of House team affiliation. Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin: the girls scarcely, if ever, missed a match.

"Hullo, James," Leslie said, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder and leaning forward on the table. As James looked up, he was met by the sight of rather ample sixteen-year-old cleavage displayed nicely from a provocatively unbuttoned uniform shirt. She smiled winsomely at him, noting that the direction of his gaze was decidedly a bit more southern in latitude than what was considered socially acceptable in most societies. He quickly cleared his throat, leaned back from the table, and looked up at Leslie's admittedly pretty face and smiled back.

"Hey, Leslie," he said, shifting in his seat and trying to quell the flush that was creeping up his neck. Girls really were the most devious things to sneak-attack a perfectly unsuspecting bloke with a view like that, and make him deal with the consequences of an accidental glimpse. "Are you here for tutoring?" He checked the appointments list Professor McGonagall had given him, finding that Leslie's name was indeed not on it. She raised her well-maintained eyebrows at him and smiled further.

"Can't a girl come and visit her favorite Quidditch star?" she simpered.

James and his ego engaged in a brief but violent scuffle, in which James was soundly defeated. He grinned back. "Well," he said, tipping his chair back on two legs, "I suppose you may. How have you been? Hufflepuff and Gryffindor is the first match this season- which are you supporting? Moment of truth, now."

Leslie pretended to be concerned, mulling over the idea. "Well, silly," she said coquettishly. "Of course I'll have to support Gryffindor. I would have to be a fool not to recognize the real talent at Hogwarts, especially when it's sitting right in front of me." She fluttered her eyelashes.

After this little speech, James was somewhat disenchanted. Leslie was laying it on a bit thick, wasn't she? And though she was pretty, she was definitely overdoing it. He began to wonder what it was about blinking really quickly that was supposed to be so attractive. He had never figured it out, though he and Sirius had spent the majority of an afternoon in fourth year dissecting what about female flirtation was actually effective, and what was simply daft. The whole eyelash-thing was definitely on the daft list.

"I suppose so," James said, smiling nonetheless. "Do you need any help with Transfiguration, then?" According to his memory, Leslie Olcott was not half bad at Transfiguration, and so it was odd she would know to show up here, of all places.

Leslie shook her bangs out of her eyes. "I could always use help, James," she said, leaning forward again and sorely tempting James' baser nature. She worried her lower lip with her teeth. "Is there.." she began with the appearance of hesitation. "Is there anything I can help _you_ with, James?"

There was a beat of heavy silence while James contemplated the implications of her tone and the carefree way in which she flaunted her body. He was working quickly to formulate a response when he was saved by the arrival of his next appointment. A slightly chubby Ravenclaw first year stood a short distance behind Leslie, looking nervously at the pair of them. In an attempt to verify that she had written down the proper day, she rifled through her parchments. James quickly leaned around Leslie and waved the little girl over. "Hello, Anna," he said smiling. "I'll help you in just a moment." The little girl looked relieved and ceased to shuffle her papers around.

Madame Pince appeared from behind the stacks designated to books on the Old English warlocks of the moors. With a reproving glare in James' direction, she hissed; "This is _not _a venue for your social hour, Mr. Potter!"

James nodded apologetically, and was silent until Madame Pince backed into a shady corner of the Library, a scowl decorating her pinched face.

"Listen, Leslie," James said in a whisper. "Let's chat some other time, all right? Come and eat dinner with me and my mates, why don't you?"

Leslie looked delighted and beamed at him. "Ooh, thanks, James!" she said, hopping up from her seat. "I'll see you in the Great Hall, _Captain._"

James watched her go, a look of perplexed amusement on his face.

The little Ravenclaw girl cleared her throat. "Er... Is this a bad time? Cos I can come back or figure it out by myself if you're bus-"

James interrupted. "Oh no," he said, shaking the image of Leslie's retreating form from his mind. "C'mere, sit down, I don't mind in the least. Now, let's see what you're working on..."

Tutoring continued to pass in a similar form until free period was over. When the bell rang, James packed up his thus-untouched essay and headed out of the Library to meet with Sirius and Remus and Peter before heading to their next class.

Later that evening, Lily was still working on her Defense essay, an unfortunate consequence of having squandered the majority of her free period. She had been holed up in her favorite window seat ever since returning from dinner, scratching away with her quill as she took notes. By the time nine o'clock rolled around, she had made considerable headway and had one fourth of the essay written. As the clock over the fireplace mantle chimed nine o'clock, Lily set her books aside, stood up, and crossed to the couch where the Head Boy and the rest of his crew were all, presumably, working away. Remus looked up as she approached and grinned, "How's that essay coming?"

"Just fine, I guess" she replied with a shrug, then turned her attention to James. "Ready, Potter?"

He looked up from the book in his hands, glanced over at the clock, and looked back at Lily with widened eyes.  
"Yeah. Sorry. Lost track of time, I guess." He jumped to his feet, bid goodbye to his mates, and followed Lily through the portrait hole. Once they were outside in the corridor, he glanced over at her and remarked cheerily, "So, another night of walking the halls for no apparently good reason. It's enough to make you giddy."

Lily's lips twitched in a tiny smirk.  
"We can always think of it as exercise. A chance to stretch our legs?"

He pretended to jog in place for a few moments, then stopped and grinned at her.  
"Whew. What fun."

Her smirk widened as she asked, "You get winded that easily, Potter?"

Playing along, he nodded grimly.  
"Alas, these last nineteen hours without Quidditch and I've let myself go.."

The comically woebegone expression he had assumed earned him a giggle from Lily.  
"What will all your loyal fans say?"

"They'll all be too ashamed of me to say a word," he answered, sighing heavily and allowing his head to droop and his shoulders to slump to an exaggerated degree.

"Ah yes. Fame is a fickle mistress," Lily commented, her tone lofty as she pretended to be imparting high morals to her co-Head.

Duly admonished, James nodded sagely.  
"That and a rubbish metabolism, and you're headed straight for failure."

"Such a pitiful fate," the Head Girl agreed, shaking her head morosely. Then, setting aside their light-hearted banter for a moment, she asked earnestly, "Really though, is Quidditch that much of a workout? I mean.. you're just flying around on brooms."

The moment the words left her mouth, Lily realized she might have just said something offensive to one of the sport's most ardent enthusiasts, and she glanced up at James in hesitation. But he appeared unruffled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and asked, "Well, I mean, you've never flown much have you?"  
He glanced down at her, realizing his own remark could be construed as insulting, and hastened to amend it, "I don't mean to be condescending or anything. 'M just asking."

"You know I haven't," she answered. "So I'm guessing there is more to it than that? I'm just curious. It doesn't seem like as much of a sport as, say, football. Or rugby."

James, to whom words like "football" and "rugby" were merely a vague memory from third-year Muggle Studies, looked at her blankly for a moment.  
"Muggle sports, I take it?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry," Lily answered, having forgotten that Potter, being a citizen of only one world, would be unlikely to recognize both wizarding _and_ Muggle sports. "They both involve a lot of running around, kicking a ball into a goal, knocking the other blokes over.." She trailed off, unsure how best to explain either sport to a pureblooded wizard.

Amused, but interested, he queried, "I'll have to look into that sometime. Kicking stuff? Can they aim? I just can't quite picture it."

She quirked a brow at him.  
"What do you mean 'can they aim?' It's practically the same thing as throwing a Quaffle around. Just using feet instead of hands."

"Yeah but they've got to run as well? That's why Quidditch is better: flying."

"Oh because running and kicking at the same time are-," Lily began to retort, but stopped herself and shrugged instead. "They're both equally fun, I guess. Just different."

"Well, to answer your question," James continued, unable to let the subject go just yet, "flying is easy. It's steering and hanging on that's tricky. Plus that Quaffle is a heavy thing, so for Chasers, there's a lot to do with arms and ambidextry. Beaters have to swing these fifteen pound bats around like they're just a part of their arms... Yeah, I'd say Quidditch is pretty rough on a person." He glanced quickly down at her before adding, "Especially a bloke."

She considered this explanation and decided, "True. I guess I never thought about how heavy all the gear is." His last statement left her a bit perplexed.  
"Why especially for a-," she began to ask when his meaning dawned on her and her cheeks flushed bright red. "Ohhh... yes."

"It's a complication," he agreed, chuckling at her blushing realization.

Lily was quick to change the subject.  
"Must be worth it, though, since you love it so much."

"Oh definitely," James said. "Quidditch is.. well, it's excellent."

He glanced down at her and changed the subject again.

"What do you do? As in, for fun?"

"Me? Well mostly reading, I suppose. Not that I get that much time to read for pleasure during the school year," she answered. "And when the weather's nice, Marlene, Mary and I like to go exploring along the shoreline of the lake." As she spoke, she glanced wistfully out the window at the sky, which had been cloudy all day long.

For his part, James had never considered reading as a legitimate "fun" activity, so he was a bit surprised to hear Lily name it as one of her hobbies.

"Fun? What do you read? I've read some Muggle books I really liked, but I wouldn't make a day job of it."

"You have? Like which ones?" It was Lily's turn to be surprised, as she would never have guessed that James Potter actually enjoyed reading. He certainly avoided reading textbooks as much as possible.

"Well I've read _one_," he amended. "_Catch 22_. It's about a war the Muggles fought, I think. Well, I mean, there were more forces at work than they thought."

"I wouldn't know. I've never read it. Sounds like it might be a good one, though."

James shrugged and pumped his fist in the air in mock celebration, earning him another laugh from Lily.

"Yeah, books!"

After a short silence, she asked, "So how're you liking your Heads duties and everything? I mean, I'm assuming it's been a bit of a shock for you, not having been a Prefect or anything."

He shrugged again and answered, "I like a challenge. It's been fine, really, but thanks for asking. How about you? Is it very different from being a Prefect?"

She considered the question for a moment, before answering, "Not really. Just the added responsibility of having to plan everything. The other duties are all the same." And then, as the topic of Heads duties came up, Lily remembered the bit of James' duties that she had observed that morning in the library. Turning her head to smirk up at him, she teased, "You looked like you were having fun in tutoring this morning, though."

James blinked.

"Huh? Tutoring is all right. Not my favorite or anything. The Library's too quiet."

Her smirk widened.

"Really? So you didn't enjoy the -ahem- perks of being a tutor?"

"Evans, leave the poor kid alone. He nearly wet himself," James said, thinking she was referring to nervous little Evan Ramsey. A few seconds later, he recalled his brief conversation with Leslie Olcott and the full meaning of Lily's words dawned on him. His neck flushed, and he stared fixedly at the ground.

"Oh, come off it."

Lily watched the flush creep up his neck in proud awe, quite certain that she had never before made Potter actually _blush_ over something. She began to giggle again.

"You know I'm not sure you're qualified to tutor her, Potter. You seem to be something of a distraction to the poor girl."

"I'm not tutoring her," James was quick to add, then he stopped and looked over at the grinning Head Girl as another thought occurred to him.

"Hang on. Were you _watching_ my tutoring sessions?"

The grin on Lily's face faltered and her own cheeks began to blush as she realized she had been caught.

"Oh...," she faltered, trying to cover her tracks. "Well _she_ was distracting! And that first little boy was so precious, of course I couldn't help watching him."

"You _were_ watching me!" James exclaimed, with a grin on his face that could only be described as triumphant.

"And?" she demanded defensively.

"Is this time next year good for you?" he interrupted, hands slung casually in his pockets again.

"-It's a rather unusual sight to see you doing something so academically inclined," Lily continued, then paused as his question registered in her mind.

"What?"

"For our wedding of course," James explained, flashing her his most dashing of smiles.

The Head Girl flushed as scarlet as her hair and scowled darkly at him, but James was already laughing.

"You're ridiculous. I was amused by watching some desperate girl hit on you, and now suddenly that means I want to be stuck with you for the rest of my life?" she scoffed. "Please."

"C'mon, Lily," James laughed as the shorter, redheaded girl stalked off, "you know I'm only playing."

Lily maintained her scowl and tried to quicken her step, unaware of the fact that this action caused the hem of her skirt to bounce higher than it did at her normal pace.  
"Oh, do I?" she asked scathingly, refusing to turn around and look the great Quidditch-playing oaf in the eye.

James, for his part, decided the seize the opportunity now presented to him to check out his co-Head's exceptionally fine figure. After a moment of unabashed ogling, he decided to speak.  
"Well, I am. Kidding, that is." He lengthened his stride to catch up with her. "So," he asked, moving on as seamlessly as he knew how. "What's been your favorite class so far? Besides Potions, of course. That's a given."

Lily was still a bit cross with him for his comment. So what if he was kidding? He didn't have to say simply _everything_ that entered that great swollen head of his. However, his innocent question disarmed her slightly. Could he really intersperse normal conversation with flirtatious banter without even thinking about it? She sighed. "Oh, I don't know. We're actually learning about some very interesting- and dangerous- plants in Herbology right now."

James' brows contracted slightly. He had absolutely _hated_ Herbology.  
"Really?" he asked, trying to play off his momentary tic. "Worse than Mandrakes, then?"

"Yeah," Lily agreed, having not seen any reaction on his part. "But they're not so bad, really. A good pair of earmuffs'll keep you quite safe. There are _some_ plants, of course, that will try and choke you if they get the chance." A little thrill ran through her at the memory of their previous and quite daring lesson involving a spiny and rather nefarious vine. "Or, others that will knock you out with the scent of their flowers, and _then_ choke you."

James hadn't heard most of this, having been quite hung up on his mentioning of Mandrakes. Had Lily looked his way, she would have seen the Head Boy with his nose all wrinkled, muttering something about earmuffs not being at all reliable and something further about plants paired with a handful of expletives. After a moment, he sucked in a breath through his teeth.  
"Plants, eh?" he asked, shaking his head. "Merlin. Who would have thought?"

Lily's lips curved slightly. "I know, right?" she asked rhetorically, the tension that had crept into her muscles at his earlier suggestive comments beginning to abate. Then, feeling as if it was her turn to reciprocate the conversation, she turned his question back to him. "What about you? What are you even taking this year?"

He paused for a moment, thinking.  
"Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, and Arithmancy. It's all great fun and such," he said, waving a hand as if trying to dissolve the classes from the surrounding air.

Her interest was piqued.  
"Arithmancy, hm? I never took that one; is it interesting? Well, obviously it is if you're still taking it," she amended.

James nodded.  
"It's magical mathematical theory," he explained. "And I like it a lot- explains a lot of the principles behind Transfiguration, so its been really helpful in other classes, you know?"

"Maybe I should be taking it, then," she frowned. "Transfiguration's getting a bit beyond my reach this year, it seems like." She checked herself, not wanting to come across as incompetent. "Or, at least, it requires more effort to understand."

James fought very hard to keep a casual expression, though he was secretly thanking his lucky stars that the coursework came so easily to him.  
"Well, you can always ask me if you need clarification," he offered with a smile.

"I don't know," Lily countered with a smirk, drawing the last vowel out into several syllables. "You seem to be in such high demand as a Transfiguration tutor, you might not be able to work me into your schedule around all the busty blondes in the school." Her eyes shone with amusement. "And adorable little second-years," she added hastily.

"You're just jealous. Or something."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Let's go with _something_, rather," she said firmly.

There was a long beat of silence in which the pair of them simply walked along the stone corridor. The temperature was very nice on this September evening. There was a faint bite of autumnal breeze, but the torches lighting the hallways gave off a warm aura that felt pleasant. James, however, was searching for something new to say.

"So," he said, cursing himself for his lack of originality. "I had something to say, but completely blanked." It was a lie; he couldn't think of anything to say, which was particularly odd for him. Yet he hoped she wouldn't catch on.

Luckily for him, Lily laughed.  
"It's all right. Keeping me entertained the whole patrol isn't one of your Head duties."

"Yeah," he responded. "But it's a nice perk." He looked over at Lily, having suddenly realized that now was as good as any a time to broach the subject of the impending Hogsmeade weekend. Pretending to think while knowing Lily was looking curiously at him, he suddenly stopped in the hall as if remembering.  
"Oh, yes, that's right-" he said. "Want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Ever since setting the dates for every Hogsmeade visit, Lily had been somewhat dreading the inevitable, knowing that James would most likely try and ask her to most of them. Still, she nearly stumbled over her shoes as the tall boy spat out his question, and she looked up at his grinning face, wide-eyed. She faltered for the briefest of moments before finding her tongue.  
"Oh.. er.. no thanks," she said, wondering why on earth she felt guilty about refusing him. "I've already got a date, actually. Ewan Forrester; he''s the Ravenclaw Prefect from our year."

James, having known before he even asked what her response would be, scarcely listened before speaking.  
"Yeah, didn't think so, but that's- wait. What?" He turned toward her, utterly confused. Lily was looking ahead down the corridor, determinedly avoiding his gaze. Her words caught up with James' mind, and he was quiet for mere seconds before speaking.  
"Aah," he said, grinning slowly. "Miss Evans has got a _crush._" Jealousy welled within him, though he tried very hard to hold back. After another moment or two, he spoke again, "You look nervous, Evans."

Lily glanced up at him.  
"Well, yes." she said. "I thought- nevermind." She looked back ahead, wishing she could speed up time and get this awful patrol over and done with. How did they always seem to get back to uncomfortable topics like this one?

"I'm not going to hex you, you know," James said quietly.

He was met by a pointed glare.  
"You wouldn't dare even try it," Lily challenged, green eyes flashing.

"Can't risk my pretty badge," added James loftily. With a smirk that caused the corners of his eyes to crinkle, he shot back, "Oh, well, and there is you too, of course."

Lily tossed her head haughtily.  
"That and I'd have you flat on your back in two second's time," she said confidently.

"You know," James said, a grin curving the corners of his mouth, "one of these days, you'll have to make good on your threats and actually knock me back."

Though Lily was a smart witch and knew she would suffer great consequences for dueling with the Head Boy in the corridor while on patrols, she couldn't help reaching for her right hand pocket where her wand is located, just to egg Potter on.  
"Shall I make it today, then?" she asked casually.

James shrugged, fully confident in his dueling abilities.  
"You can if you like. Though I don't think it's a good idea, as McGonagall is just ahead." He gestured down the hall, where the unmistakable tartan-clad figure of the Gryffindor Head of House was headed away from them. Minerva McGonagall could easily spot trouble from several floors away, and had on more than one occasion reprimanded James for even suggesting such a display of bravado. Knowing Lily would not risk trouble from a teacher simply to show him up, he smirked down at her.

Lily followed his motion and saw that Professor McGonagall was, in fact, just a short distance away. Immediately, she dropped her hand from where her wand was stowed.  
"Hmph," she sniffed. "Lucky for you, then."

"Lucky, indeed."

It was true that Lily wasn't about to try and hex James. She simply was frustrated with the fact that he didn't seem to think she was much of a force to be reckoned with. She knew herself to be a perfectly capable witch- more capable than some, in fact! Potter's unreasonable confidence in his own skills was quite maddening. After a short silence, she realized it was her turn to make conversation again. Though the last thing she wanted was to resurrect the momentary inexplicable awkwardness surrounding James' asking her to Hogsmeade for what must have been the fortieth time, Lily could think of nothing else to say.  
"So, what're you doing for Hogsmeade weekend?"

James raised his eyebrows at the question, having not expected her to speak first at all.  
"Well," he said, after a moment's thought. "I think I'm headed to the Three Broomsticks to listen to the League match on the wireless. It'll be pretty uneventful, really. The only reason I'm going is cos we've _got_ to," he added, referring to the Heads' duty of transferring the students from castle to Hogsmeade and back. The shine had long since worn off Hogsmeade, especially since he and his mates took every opportunity to sneak out of the school and into the all-Wizarding village during the week.

"Oh, so you did remember about escorting everyone out then. I wasn't sure if I'd have to remind you or not." Lily was relieved, as she didn't like to be a killjoy and definitely preferred not to nag anyone with responsibilities. She couldn't help adding with a smirk, "You know, if you really wanted a date to Hogsmeade you could ask..." she trailed off, thinking, "was Olcott her name? I'm sure she'd jump at the chance to go with you."

James let out a halfhearted laugh.  
"You know, Evans, I didn't really want any _date_. I wanted to go with you. But, that's out of the question, I see."

Lily felt herself beginning to blush as his frankness caught her off-guard.  
"Well," she said, doing her best to avoid looking in his direction. "I'm sure you'll have fun listening to the match. Let me guess. The Caterpoles are playing?"

He grinned.  
"Caterpoles?" he asked, disbelieving. "Well, aren't you adorable. It's the Caerphilly _Catapults_."

"I can't be expected to remember the name of a team I've only heard of once!" Lily exclaimed. "And it's not my fault they have a weird name."

The Head Boy raised his eyebrows.  
"Yeah, the town name is odd, but I thought even Muggles knew what _catapults_ were."

Lily shook her head.  
"Well yes but.. it's not as though it's a commonly-used term."

James shrugged.  
"They're a more than decent team. Me and my mates nearly always listen in when we can."

Realizing she had been rather touchy, Lily found herself backtracking.  
"I didn't mean to imply they're a terrible team," she said apologetically. Then, realizing that she was in danger of being nearly sweet to Potter, she added "But I still maintain it's an odd name!"

James looked over at her, his lips quirking in a fond little smile.  
"You're a nonbeliever," he said.

She laughed and laid a hand over her heart.  
"You've cut me to the core!" she cried, giggling.

He nodded sagely.  
"That's my goal."

"You know, that's no way to treat a lady, Potter," Lily said, crossing her arms and turning her head away.

"Yes, miss," James grinned, adjusting his perpetually crooked glasses as they turned the corner.

Their conversation continued in a similar vein until, an hour later, their patrol had ended. By the time James and Lily returned to the common room, it was almost entirely empty. She bid him goodnight and headed up the staircase to the girls' dormitory, while James scanned the common room once more to make sure his mates weren't waiting for him there. Deciding they must have already retired for the night, he climbed the boys' staircase and opened the door of the seventh year boys' dormitory, where his suspicions were confirmed. Peter was nowhere to be found, but Remus was lounging on his bed, his nose buried in an old Muggle novel written by some bloke named Dickens. On the other side of the room, Sirius was sprawled on his bed, playing his own game of Exploding Snap.

"H'lo, lads," James said, kicking off his shoes on his way to his own four-poster bed.

Sirius' head snapped up as he heard James enter, "So?"

Remus looked up from his book, also curious, and Peter, who had been in the bathroom, poked his head around the doorframe and asked around the toothbrush in his mouth, "Wha'd she say?"

The Head Boy plopped down on the closed trunk at the end of his bed and reached down to rummage through the pile of clothes at his feet for his pyjama pants.  
"Well, what do you _think_ she said?" he asked, grinning madly to throw his mates off track.

The other three were silent a moment as they tried to decide if James' grin was real or not.  
Finally, Sirius asked, "Did she really say yes, Prongs?"

Pulling his shirt over his head, James answered, "Turned me down flatter than Charlotte Thornton's chest."

Sirius, who had personal experience with the chest in question, laughed and grimaced at the reference, "Oooo. Well-" And he hesitated, finding the role of "being comforting" a rather awkward one to play. "-S'what you expected, right?"

His best mate shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. Kinda hoped that maybe I was making progress or som'em. D'you know she's got a _date_ with some Ravenclaw Prefect?"

"With Ewan Forester?" Remus asked.

James nodded.  
"That's the one. Know anything about him?" he asked, trying his best to be casual.

The lycanthrope shrugged and stretched out more comfortably on his bed.  
"Not really. I just overheard him talking at the last meeting about how he wanted to ask Lily out."

"He's a smarmy, ass-kissing swot," Sirius interrupted. "He's in that Slug Club thing with her isn't he?"

At this point, Peter returned to the bathroom, having realized that no interesting news was about to be shared.

James suppressed a sigh and climbed onto his bed, reaching for his copy of _Which Broomstick?_  
"Bollocks to him," he said, thumbing through the magazine and trying very hard to keep his expression blase and casual.

Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius' predictable display of exaggerated loyalty to James and said, "He isn't that bad, Padfoot."  
Looking over at James, he added, "He's a decent bloke. You don't have to go worrying about... er... her virtue or anything."

This last statement caused Sirius to snort in amusement.  
"Her _virtue_? Moony, that girl is so clean you could use her as _soap_."

The Head Boy took a moment to absorb this mental image. While he trusted Lily's judgment and agreed with Remus that this Forester bloke seemed to be a decent sort, he still didn't exactly relish the thought of anyone but him doing anything with the object of his unrequited affections.  
"Well, he'd better be sweet to her," he finally said, the tiniest hint of a threat in his voice.

Remus sighed.  
"I'm sure she would take very kindly to you hexing her date into good behavior."

James chose not to comment further on this, and Sirius took the opportunity to change the subject.  
"So, why do you keep at this, James?" If it had been up to him, he would have given up ages ago and moved on to a more willing target. Though they had had this discussion before, Sirius still couldn't understand how Lily Evans had such a hold over his best mate.

"Why not?" James asked, looking up from his magazine. "I really want to date her. I think we could have a decent go of it."

"Yeah but...," Sirius paused, struggling to phrase his reservations about the redheaded girl who he considered slightly deluded for her constant refusals of James' affection. "She's hellbent on giving you the runaround all the time. Plenty of other fish in the sea, y'know."

James sighed.  
"I know."

"Yes but how many of them haven't you gotten your paws on already?" Remus muttered to himself, causing Sirius to smirk proudly.  
"I heard that."

Their exchange went largely unnoticed by James, who was still wrestling with Sirius' earlier comment.  
"I just think that I'm almost there... Can't give up just yet..."  
He glanced up, saw the smirk on Sirius' face, and asked in confusion, "What?"

"Nothing," Remus assured him, returning to the topic at hand. "I will say you two seem to be getting along better this year. You've only had... one argument, am I right?"

James closed his eyes a moment, rewinding the past three weeks in his head. "Yeah... Yeah, just that one."

"Wait, so you and Evans are getting all chummy now?" Sirius demanded, having been unaware of this development.

"What can I say? Should I credit my devilish charm or stunning good looks?" the bespectacled boy said, one corner of his mouth twitching in a smile. He looked over at the four-poster next to his.  
"She's all right, Padfoot. Been telling you that for years."

Sirius, who found it hard to believe that anyone who had so stubbornly refused to like his best friend could be "all right," retorted, "Yeah well, you're a bit biased, Prongs."

"Just keep doing what you're doing, James," Remus interjected. "She'll come around." And he picked up his Dickens again, thinking that the four boys had had quite enough of a heart to heart for the evening.

James nodded, his expression slightly wistful.  
"That's what I keep hoping, Moony."

By this time, Peter had finished getting ready for bed, and he turned to the bedroom to join the conversation.  
"It's only September, y'know. You've got the whole year," he said, the last word swallowed by a giant yawn.

"Yeah," James nodded, leaning back against his pillows and yawning himself, "Bet you by Christmas.."

Sirius smirked and buried himself under his covers.  
"I'll write Santa for you."

"Shove it, Padfoo'..," James replied, his sentence trailing off in another yawn as he drifted off to sleep.

Remus couldn't help but smile as he flipped to the next page in his novel.  
"Simmer down lads," he said, and was met with only snores from Peter and Sirius. He looked over at James' bed and found that the Head Boy, too, was asleep. For the next few minutes, he took advantage of the unusual quiet in the dormitory room to progress a few more pages through his book. Eventually, the complicated prose of the nineteenth century author proved too much for his tired brain, and Remus closed the book, setting it on the bedside table. Once he had settled himself beneath his blankets, he reached over and turned out the lamp on his bedside table. Rolling over, he drifted off to sleep with the rest of Gryffindor Tower.


	7. Considerable Progress

What seemed like several eternities but was a mere two days later, the date of the Hogsmeade weekend arrived. For many of the seventh year students, the shine had long since worn off these out-of-school excursions. Many were already buckling under enormous workloads given by professors who seemed to operate under the belief that their personal subject and course was the only one in existence. But James Potter, for one, was sworn to attend, per his Head Student duties dictated. Sirius, Remus and Peter, though probably more agreeable to the thought of sleeping in before beginning their respective days, had generously agreed to spend their time with James in Hogsmeade. The plan was simple; walk the underclassmen to the village, then immediately depart for the Three Broomsticks for quasi-alcoholic drinks and an audio commentary on the League match between the Hollyhead Harpies and the Wimbourne Wasps, courtesy of a very pretty and curvaceous barmaid named Rosmerta. James, for one, was not especially looking forward to the idea that he would have to stand by and watch as some other bloke waltzed through the day with Lily on his arm. He had tried very hard to swallow his jealousy the previous Thursday when he had discovered Lily had already acquired a date, but he was bursting to cry out with the unfairness of it all. Did she really _know_ this Forrester bloke? Did he even _care_ about Lily? Not like James did, that much was certain.

The first Hogsmeade weekend of their final year at Hogwarts proved to be exceedingly pleasant. The air was warm and the sun was shining, though there was a crisp edge to the breeze that stirred up the first of the autumnal leaves. Once breakfast had been eaten, the first and second years returned to their usual Saturday activities while the older students congregated in the Entrance Hall. Lily and Ewan, who had breakfasted together at the Ravenclaw table, wound their way through the throng of sun-deprived students to the front doors of the castle, where Professor McGonagall and Filch were collecting permission slips from the third years. Both were dressed in Muggle clothing, but had their respective badges pinned to the front of their jumpers as they were both acting in official capacity today. A few minutes later, the Head Boy arrived. Lily waved in greeting, but his disgruntled frown at the sight of she and Ewan standing together was lost on her, both because he quickly masked it and because her attention was focused on she and Ewan's discussion of where they would be headed today.

"There's a lovely little park at the end of the main street," Lily was saying, "And it's such a beautiful day. We ought to visit."

"Sure," the brown-haired lad agreed, "As long as we're sure to stop by Honeydukes at some point. And maybe The Three Broomsticks for lunch?"

"Sounds good to me," she responded with a smile.

Just then, McGonagall approached them, a stack of parchment slips in her hand.

"Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, the third years' permission slips are all accounted for," she said. "You're free to leave for the village."

James, eager to complete his duties and get away from the presumptuous Forrester, nodded instantly.

"Sure thing, Professor. All right, you lot," he said, raising his voice to address the crowd of students. "Who's ready for Hogsmeade?" There was an affirmative chorus of "yeah"s and "I am"s, and James grinned, pushing the doors open and bowing exaggeratedly in Lily's direction.

"After you, Miss Head Girl."

Lily quirked a brow at his exaggerated formality but proceeded through the front doors, followed by James, Ewan and the rest of the Hogsmeade visitors. It was only a twenty-minute walk from the castle to the village, but to James it seemed twice as long. Had he any other choice, he would not have been walking here at the front of the column, alongside Lily Evans and her date. To be fair, neither Lily nor Ewan was ignoring him, but the conversation remained rather one-sided, as he was in no mood to talk to the boy he so greatly envied. When they finally reached the village, he was quite relieved. With a falsely cheery wave to his co-Head, he hurried off to join Sirius, Remus and Peter on their way to Zonko's joke shop. The four lads had already either inspected or purchased most of the items in Zonko's over the past four years, but James was desperately in need of any sort of distraction at the moment.

Either James had been sufficiently able to mask his disgruntled feelings during the walk to the village or Lily had been too distracted to notice. Whatever the reason, she was feeling particularly at ease and excited today. She and Ewan Forrester had been glancing and smiling at each other across the room at Prefects meetings ever since the term began. He wasn't the most handsome lad in the school (Sirius Black had had that position covered since the beginning of fourth year), but she thought he was cute. And, more importantly, he was intelligent, thoughtful and a diligent, ambitious student. James had been correct two evenings earlier when he had teased her about having a crush. Ever since they had set the date for the first Hogsmeade weekend, Lily had been hoping Ewan would ask her to accompany him, and, to her delight, he had done just that after the next Prefects' meeting.

So, as James walked off, Lily turned to her date with a smile on her face and asked, "To the park?"

"To the park," Ewan agreed.

As they set off down the street, he reached over for Lily's hand, which she happily gave him, along with a dazzling smile. The park was duly explored, followed by the requested visit to Honeydukes, where Ewan gallantly purchased Lily a package of her favorite candy in the entire wizarding world: Raspberry Chocoballs. The good weather from that morning held; by late afternoon there was still not a cloud in the sky. After an early lunch at The Three Broomsticks, the two students spent the remainder of their day strolling idly up and down the streets of Hogsmeade, chatting, laughing, and enjoying what was likely to be one of the last days of Indian summer sunshine.

Meanwhile, in the Three Broomsticks pub, the Hogsmeade trip was not so sunny. The four boys had trooped dutifully to Zonko's joke shop, where minor purchases were made before heading over to the pub to have a late lunch and listen to the Quidditch match broadcasted on the wireless. While his body was comfortably seated in a booth with his mates, James Potter's mind was far away, contemplating all that might go wrong on his beloved's date with the Ravenclaw ponce. He had carefully orchestrated their seating arrangement so that he might have a clear view of the street, should he be so inclined to look out and glimpse the passers-by on their way to the candy shop or Quidditch supplier. However, soon the Quidditch broadcast began, and his focus was diverted from forming fallout strategies against his brown-haired competitor.

The match was uneventful, much to the listeners' disappointment. The Hollyhead Harpies couldn't put up much of a strong defensive front against the Wimbourne Wasps' offense. The snitch was caught in forty minutes, and the broadcast went from a commentary of the match to a six-hour stream of "Songs of the Charmed Heart," a sappy love-dunked compilation of ballads and awful poetry. Sirius reached out and changed the wireless so quickly that the station had changed to Muggle rock-and-roll before James had even registered that his best mate's arm had moved. Remus brought out a book while James ordered another round of Butterbeers, and the foursome sat rather quietly, enjoying the quiet freedom of the Saturday afternoon. That is, until a flash of bright red hair passed outside of the pub, and James' interest and alertness were piqued.

He leaned backward in his chair, peering out of the large front window at the street where he'd seen Lily and the Ravenclaw Prefect pass by just moments before. "Did you see which way they went?" he asked of Remus, who was sipping from a large mug of butterbeer.

"James," Remus admonished mildly. "What you're doing right now qualifies as stalking. Let the poor girl have her date."

"Yeah," James said, having clearly not listened to a word out of Remus' mouth. "But she didn't look like she's having a good time. I should go out there and say somethi-"

Remus interrupted.

"That is a terrible idea," he stated plainly. "You would make an utter arse of yourself and embarrass Lily endlessly. That would be, as we call it in the real world, 'counter-productive'."

As Remus and the other two lads managed to dissuade James from leaving the pub to interfere with Lily's date, she and Ewan were free to continue enjoying the sunshine without interruption. However, after two hours of walking through them, the streets of the small village lost their charm. As the sun began to set, the air grew cooler; the light breeze that had been affectionately ruffling Lily's copper curls all day took on a decidedly chilly temperature, sending a shiver through her petite form. The shiver did not go unnoticed by her date, who glanced over at her and asked, "Want to head back to the castle before we start freezing to death?"

Lily nodded gratefully.

"Let's do. I have to be back before sundown anyway so Potter and I can make sure all the students made it back safely."

Ewan rose from the bench on which they'd been seated and asked, "Any last minute purchases you need to make before we go?"

"Don't think so," she replied, standing with him and reaching for his hand again. Smiling and swinging their clasped hands, the pair made their way back up the path to Hogwarts Castle. Ever the gentleman, Ewan accompanied Lily all the way up to Gryffindor Tower, where he paused outside the Fat Lady's portrait. His expression grew suddenly nervous and, though she had an inkling of what was about to happen, Lily waited to see what he would do.

"I had a really great time today, Lily," Ewan said, turning towards her and taking her other hand in his.

"Me too," she replied, giving his hands a little squeeze, "Thanks for lunch. And the chocoballs."

"Any time," he answered. "So.. er.." He took a step forward, met her eyes, and promptly forgot whatever smooth line he had been about to say. It was very difficult to think about speaking when Lily Evans, who was decidedly one of the prettiest girls in the school, was smiling up at him with those brilliant green eyes of hers. So Ewan took the only sensible course of action in a moment like this one. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

She had known he was going to kiss her from the moment Ewan stepped towards her, but when he finally did, Lily was surprised. Not because she hadn't expected it, but because she had expected it to be different, to actually be _something_. But she felt nothing. After a few moments, she broke their kiss and pulled away. Dropping her gaze to the floor, she smiled gently and said, "Goodnight, Ewan." Turning around, she gave the password to the Fat Lady and stepped through the portrait hole, her mind whirling as she hurried up the girls' staircase in search of Marlene and Mary.

If she were being completely honest with herself, Lily would have admitted that something about the date had been off. Not that Ewan Forrester was in any way a bad fellow; he was a perfectly nice, respectable young man. But that's really all he was. That kiss had merely confirmed what she had been suspecting all day. She sighed as she pushed open the door of the seventh year girls' dormitory and was very glad to find that Marlene and Mary were already there waiting for her.

"And how did it go?" Marlene asked before Lily had even shut the door behind her.

"Did he kiss you?" Mary wanted to know, flopping herself down on her stomach on Marlene's bed and watching her friend eagerly.

Lily perched on the end of the bed and stared down at the comforter a minute. Then she shrugged and answered, "It was fine. But.. that's all."

Marlene looked surprised.

"Really? But I thought you were crazy about him."

"I was. Maybe? I guess I was wrong."

"So he didn't kiss you," Mary ascertained. From the expression on her face, it was clear that she found this a disappointing ending to a date story.

"Oh no. We kissed," the redhead countered. "But it was just- there wasn't any spark, y'know? My toes didn't tingle. My spine didn't thrill. Or any of that other stuff that's supposed to happen. I mean, we had a fun time and all, but it wasn't _exciting_."

"I know what you mean," Mary replied, nodding sagely. "Do you think he feels the same thing or...?"

"I hope he does," Lily answered. This was what worried her. Even if she had just discovered she didn't really fancy Ewan Forrester anymore, she still thought well of him as a friend and coworker, and she certainly didn't want to cause him any heartache.

"I'm sure he'll figure it out," Marlene said. "You won't say yes if he asks you out again, will you?"

Lily shook her head.

"No! I wouldn't want to lead him on. I just didn't want to, y'know, crush his hopes right away or anything."

Before Mary or Marlene could say anything more, there was a knock at the door and then Belinda Haskell, one of the fifth year Gryffindor Prefects, stepped in the room.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, glancing apologetically between the three girls, "But, Lily, Potter's asking for you downstairs." Her message delivered, Belinda turned and left the room.

Eyebrows raised, Lily hesitated a moment before standing up.

"Well I guess I'd better see what he wants."

"Maybe _he_ wants to know how your date went," Marlene teased, winking suggestively at her friend.

"Oh hush, Lena," Lily snapped as she walked to the door, suddenly fearful. Surely Potter wouldn't actually be planning to question her, right? He had at least matured that far since fifth year. Whatever it was he wanted to talk to her about, it was obviously important, so she hurried downstairs to the common room, where she found James and Remus standing by the fireplace in some sort of serious conversation.

"What's happened?" she asked.

James looked up.

"Oh good, you heard. Apparently two fourth-year boys didn't come back."

"What?!" she exclaimed. Her heart throbbed, sending the liquid fire of adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Oh God," she muttered. "Our first Hogsmeade weekend, and we're failures."

"Not us, but whoever is still there certainly is," James responded, shifting his weight impatiently and wishing fervently that they could just apparate over to the village. At the end of a rather abysmal day, he did not want to be wasting another hour searching for two idiotic boys, even if they were members of his own house.

"We'll have to go find them, I suppose," Lily said, ignoring his comment. She glanced between James and Remus, asking, "Has anyone told McGonagall? Or Dumbledore?"

"I'll go," Remus said, then turned to do just that.

"Thanks, Remus," Lily called after him before looking back at James. "Who'd you say's missing?"

He lifted his right hand and checked the parchment that the Deputy Headmistress had given him that morning.

"Adam Hadwen and Peter Curtis."

Lily thought a moment, but could only vaguely place the names with faces.

"Right. Well I suppose a couple of kids will be easy enough to find in a place that's mostly adults. Does anyone know where they were last seen?"

"Well, we'll have to check the most obvious place, right?" James replied. "The Hog's Head."

"The most obvious place?" Lily questioned, gesturing for him to follow her out the portrait hole while they talked.

"Underage kids can buy Firewhisky there."

"Oh really?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "Do I want to know how you acquired this information?"

"C'mon, Lily, don't play with me," James countered, not exactly in the mood for the banter they usually enjoyed.

She smirked.

"I'll take that as an admission of guilt then."

"Of course I'm guilty!" he said, forcing a laugh.

"Well at least you'll admit it," Lily responded, hurrying down the corridor as fast as her admittedly short legs would take her.

"Okay so we'll start in the Hogs Head. Or what about the Shrieking Shack? What if they went in there to.. explore?"

James shrugged, nonplussed.

"Then we go in and bring them out."

"Oh....," was all she said. Lily, being the only one present who did not know the truth of the Shrieking Shack, did not much fancy the idea of walking into a haunted house at night.

Catching the uncertainty in her tone, he looked over at her and asked, "What?"

"I just.... isn't it haunted?"

A slow smile spread over James' lips. Was she actually scared to go in?

"Don't worry, Evans. I'll protect you," he teased.

Lily was silent for a moment, then she looked over at him with an odd little smile on her face as she replied, "Somehow, I completely believe you."

Something in her tone made James turn his head to look down at her. As their eyes met, he felt her smile all the way down to his toes, and an answering grin spread over his own lips.

"Finally," was all he commented, unable to think of much more to say when his head was whirling under the influence of her beauty.

It took a few seconds for Lily to realize she'd just paid a compliment to Potter. When she did, she looked forward again and changed the subject.

"What if we don't find them in either place? Is there someone in Hogsmeade we can alert to help find them?"

He though a moment before replying, "Well, we can always enlist Rosmerta and some other of the shopkeepers if need be." As they had just reached the front doors, he paused to open them for her before continuing, "But I've got a feeling they'll be right where we think they are. Fourteen, fifteen year-old boys aren't terribly complex."

"I suppose you'd be most likely to know," Lily replied, her tone growing lighter and her spirits more buoyant the more they talked through the problem.

James shrugged.

"It helps to be a reformed truant."

Lily giggled, despite the seriousness of the situation, and was kind enough not to comment on his recent admission. They walked down the path to Hogsmeade in silence for another minute, then she asked, "Oh hey, how'd the match turn out?"

He had to think a moment, as he'd been trying to forget all the events of an entirely disappointing day.

"Wasps trumped the Harpies, two hundred and sixty to eighty. Wasn't much of a fight- the Wasps' beater Bagman is just too good."

"Wow. I hope you weren't rooting for the Harpies to win."

"Nah, though it would have shortened the odds on the Catapults," James explained. There was another beat of silence in which he opened his mouth twice to broach the topic of Lily's Hogsmeade visit but couldn't force himself to do it. Finally, he took a deep breath and asked as casually as he possibly could, "How was your date?"

"Oh.. It was fun," she answered, though the lack of enthusiasm in her tone belied her statement.

Suddenly, the Head Boy's day seemed to get much better. He looked down at Lily, forcing his expression into one of concern and not joy.

"What went wrong?"

"Well nothing really," she responded, studiously avoiding his gaze. "Ewan's very nice and all. Just.."

He waited for her to continue, feeling his spirits rising with every passing second. When she remained silent, he prompted, "Just?"

Lily sighed and finished her sentence, "It _was_ fun, but it wasn't all that... exciting. Y'know?"

She finally looked up at him and, as they made eye contact, James felt an electric shock race down his spine for the second time that night.

"Well, I'm.. er.. sorry to hear that," he said, though his actual sentiments were anything but.

"He did buy me some Raspberry Chocoballs though," Lily said, determined not to dwell on the uncomfortable topic for long. "For that, I am eternally grateful."

"You like Raspberry Chocoballs?" James asked, purposefully ignoring the fact that the boy had bought her anything.

"They're my absolute favorite," she replied, a smile spreading over her lips at the very thought of eating them.

There was another pause as James filed away this useful tidbit, then he asked as delicately as possible, "So, I take it there won't be a repeat with Forrester?"

Lily opened her mouth to ask why he was so keen to know all of this and promptly shut it again, having realized exactly why Potter wanted to know how her date went. She did not want to have this conversation with him right now. Or ever, really.

"I dunno..," she answered vaguely. "We did have fun. And he's a great fellow. Maybe the first date's too early to tell?"

He suppressed a smile.

"The first date is when you're on your best behavior. If him at his best isnt fun for you, you're wasting your time."

She laughed.

"What are you, my love doctor now?"

Caught red-handed, James shrugged and replied carelessly, "Just trying to help you see sense." In the next instant, he realized he might have just put his foot squarely in his mouth again, and amended, "Not that you're being foolish, or anything, I just.."

The expression on his face made Lily laugh again as she assured him, "Don't worry, Potter. I wasn't going to take offense."

"Of course you weren't," he responded with relief as they approached the outskirts of the village.

Two minutes later, they had reached the Hogs Head. Taking in the grimy wooden building, Lily wrinkled her nose.

"Ew. This place is rather disgusting. I can't believe people would _want_ to come here."

"Again, you can get alcohol underage," James said, chuckling to himself. "It's got a certain appeal. Though it's definitely not encouraged for Hogwarts students, it's also not banned."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving her hand to dismiss the topic as she stepped through the weather-beaten front door.

He followed her inside and looked around. Catching sight of the barman, he called out, "H'lo. Have you got-?"

Before he could finish the question, the barman grunted, "Over in the corner," and nodded toward an area in the back of the bar that looked particularly grimy.

"Thanks," James replied and began walking in the direction indicated.

Lily followed, tutting and muttering under her breath about the idiocy of underaged boys. They turned a corner and found the boys in question passed out at a table in the back.

"So.. do we just wake them up?" she asked.

Not having had much experience with drunken folk, she was not exactly sure what to do with those who had consumed so much alcohol they had passed out. James, on the other hand, had not been Sirius' roommate for six years for nothing. He nodded at Lily and responded, "Looks like it." Striding over to stand behind the boys' bench, he bent over them and commanded, "Oi. Tossers. Get up, now."

One of the boys stirred and mumbled something unintelligible. The other appeared to still be out cold. Lily stepped over and prodded this one in the back with her wand, which proved to be an effective method of rousing him.  
"Oi!" the boy (whose name was Peter) exclaimed, swiveling his head around and blinking blearily up at the two Head students. "Watchagotto d'tha' fer?"

James crossed his arms over his chest, his expression severe.

"You lads are in violation of the Hogsmeade Visitation Policy, as well as off the school grounds past curfew. Get up, it's time to go back to Hogwarts. _Now_."

Lily was just as startled as the other two boys to see this authoritative, no-nonsense side of the Head Boy. She stared at him for a moment with the faintest hint of admiration in her eyes, before returning her attention to the task at hand. She prodded Peter again and said, "You heard the Head Boy. Let's go. The sooner you get back to the castle, the shorter your detention with Professor McGonagall will be."

At the mention of the word "detention," Peter yelped, sat up and staggered to his feet. His companion, Adam, attempted to stand as well, but ended up stumbling against the wall.

James, who had a much clearer idea of the sort of punishment awaiting these two miscreants, hid his smile as he looked over at Lily.

"Actually, your detentions are going to be pretty awful, so you might as well just get to it and take it. Poor showing, Gryffindors."

"M'sorry. Just los' track'f time's all," Adam pleaded, not liking the sound of this at all. He took a step forward in the direction of the door and promptly crumpled to the floor, causing Peter to begin giggling rather girlishly at his friend's antics.

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Merlin, this is ridiculous. I can't believe you're in our house."

"Embarrassing," her co-Head agreed. "Alright, you pansies. Come on. Both myself and Evans have got better things to do than hold your hands all the way back to Hogwarts."

"I suppose we could conjure Hadwen here a stretcher, since he's not man enough to walk," she suggested.

As it turned out, the threat of being carted back to the castle on a magical stretcher like two invalids was more than enough to get both boys' feet under them and hustle them out the door. Once outside, the crisp night air did wonders to clear their heads, and they were able to make it back to Hogwarts Castle without more than a couple tumbles to the ground. Now that the boys had been found, Lily was considerably more at ease, though she did still feel a small amount of guilt that she and Potter had managed to leave two of their charges behind. The more she thought about it, however, the more she realized how helpful he had been. Left to her own devices, she would have never guessed that the boys would be at the Hogs Head. She probably would have spent hours searching the entire village for them, and she would likely have been in a bind getting them both back up to the castle once she found them, especially if she'd had to carry them back somehow.

Thus, as they dropped Peter and Adam off at McGonagall's office and began walking back to Gryffindor Tower, Lily found herself admiring something Potter had done for what was quite possibly the first time in her life. It was, at least, the first time she had ever admitted it to herself. For some reason, she felt he deserved to know this. As they approached the Fat Lady's portrait, she looked over at him and said, "You know, Potter, you're all right. I'm kind of glad you were with me tonight."

For a long moment, James was silent, unsure what to say. He knew what he _wanted_ to say; rather, he knew that he wanted to jump in the air and crow for joy because Lily Evans had just said he was "all right." _Lily Evans_ had just said she was glad he was there. It was by far the best compliment she had ever paid him, and every fiber of his being was exulting, but he knew that he had to be careful how he responded. He was anxious not to ruin the enormous progress he felt he had just made. In the end, all he did was grin down at her and say, "Is that so? That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Evans."

"Yes, well..," Lily responded, "I wouldn't have known where to even begin looking for them. I'm just glad for your help."

"Happy to be of service, Milady," he said, stepping through the portrait hole and gallantly holding it open for her.

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling at his antics as she stepped through the open doorway and headed back upstairs to Marlene and Mary, leaving an exuberant Head Boy behind in the common room. James' happy reverie was disrupted by Remus, who had been waiting for them to return.

"Did you find them?" he asked once he reached James' side.

"Course we did," the tousle-haired boy responded absently, his eyes still fixed on the Lily's figure as she climbed the staircase across the room. Only when she had disappeared into the girls' dormitory hallway did he turn his attention to Remus.

"Wouldn't have come back otherwise. They were in the Hogs Head, just like we thought they'd be, and they're now, I'd imagine, in the midst of a sound lecture from McGonagall."

"Glad to hear it," Remus said. "And I'm really glad we never got caught doing the same thing."

"Yeah," James agreed, sharing a conspiratorial smile with his friend.

"So where're Padfoot and Wormy?"

"Upstairs. Sirius claims he's invented a new and better set of rules for Exploding Snap that they're supposedly playing right now. Personally, I think he's just trying to see if he can singe Peter's eyebrows off again."

"This I've got to see," James laughed. He began walking towards the boys' staircase with a decided spring in his step. The day he had been dreading hadn't turned out so badly after all. If it had only taken Lily this long to realize he was an okay fellow, surely it wouldn't be that much longer before he could woo her into returning his feelings for her.

As neither James nor Lily managed to aggravate the other over the course of the next week, Lily's new-found belief that her co-Head was a good fellow with redeemable qualities persisted. She actually began to look forward to patrols, which she now saw as a welcomed break from an increasingly heavy course load. During the two hours that they walked the halls of the castle, conversation flowed surprisingly easily between the two Head students. James discovered that he was now as adept at making her laugh as he had previously been at making her scowl, and he was overjoyed to notice that Lily had begun to smile at him if he caught her eye in the hallway or during class, rather than look quickly away as she had used to do. He was feeling very hopeful indeed about the future of their relationship and was waiting for a chance to try his luck at making even more headway with the Head Girl.

One Monday morning, an opportunity presented itself. Other than James himself, Sirius was the only Marauder taking Potions this year, and he had decided to skip class today. The stated reason was that his stomach was touchy and he didn't fancy breathing in all those nasty potion fumes, but James privately thought his best mate was just trying to buy himself another two days to finish his Potions essay. He did not argue, however, as the thought occurred to him that he would need a new partner in class today, should they be doing any brewing. And he knew exactly who he planned to ask. If his plan were to succeed, he would have to arrive in class early, as Lily and that greasy bat Snape seemed to have resumed their former Potions partnership this year. As soon as Defense Against the Dark Arts ended, he very nearly sprinted downstairs to the dungeon classroom and found, to his delight, that Lily was already seated in her usual spot and that the space next to her on the bench was still empty.

"Hey Evans. Mind if I sit here?" he asked, approaching her bench.

Lily looked up, genuinely surprised to find James standing there.

"Oh. Sure," she replied, leaning around him to scan the classroom. "I thought you usually worked with Black?"

"He's skipping today. Stomachache," was the matter-of-fact response as James set his book bag down and claimed his seat beside her. "So what do you think we'll be brewing today?" he asked, nodding his head towards the cauldron standing in front of their bench.

"Probably making Veritaserum," she answered. "That's the next chapter in the book."

"Veritaserum," James repeated. "All right." He looked a bit nervous, if truth be told, but the fact that he and not Severus would be her Potions partner bolstered his faith in his ability.

The rest of the class sidled in soon after with the sort of reluctant shuffling that accompanied classes on such a fair-weathered day. James managed to look up while Lily was occupied with her textbook and make eye contact with his most loathed Slytherin, Severus Snape. A defiant flush threatened the cool composure of James' cheeks, and he downplayed his minute victory with the faintest of smirks directed in the sallow-skinned boy's direction. The boys locked eye contact for the briefest of moments. Without waiting to see Snape's response, James turned back to his companion, who had (fortunately) not noticed the subtle exchange.

Professor Slughorn assumed his usual position at the front of the class and began the lecture on the very potion Lily had predicted. Veritaserum, he informed the class, was a very difficult and precise potion to make, and the students would begin only the earliest stage in class today. The full potion, containing a myriad of ingredients, none the least of which were Jabberknoll feathers and armadillo bile, would take an entire lunar cycle to complete. With a small thrill of victory, James flashed Lily a winsome smile. This meant, of course, that they would have to be Potions partners for a whole month! There was a momentary twinge of regret for Sirius, as his best mate would now be paired with some other student. For a moment, he feared Sirius would have to work with Snape, but was buoyed when he realized another girl in the class was also without a partner.

After a good amount of lecture, Professor Slughorn released the students to begin their work. James, ingredient list in hand, went to the cupboards to fetch their supplies, while Lily started a fire under their cauldron and stoked it to the proper heat. Within three-quarters of an hour, the pair of them were working diligently toward the stopping-point Professor Slughorn had assigned. Lily, for her part, was quite pleased to see that James was content to actually do their work; he had spent the majority of their time chatting pleasantly with her while julienning shrivelfig fruits. After she added the two-thirds cup of said fruits to their potion and stirred eighteen times clockwise, Lily realized frantically that she had forgotten, in a momentary and embarrassing slip of the mind, that they were to immediately add a dash of armadillo bile to their potion.

"James, quick!" she said. "The bile- give it here, please!" She held out her hand, for the small bottle was on the far end of James' side of their shared desk.

With the reflexes borne of his many years of Quidditch, James snatched the bottle of armadillo bile, his eyes wide at the command she had just uttered. A large grin spread rapidly over his features as he passed it to Lily and watched her skillfully add the bile to the potion, from which curlicues of steam were now rising. Before he could be caught staring, he turned back to the next task at hand, which involved braiding together bunches of lemongrass, while Lily attended to their burgeoning potion.

"So," he asked casually, "does this mean I get to call you 'Lily' now?"

"What?" Lily asked, distracted, and brushed a steam-curled strand of hair away from her face and behind her ear. Her attention had been so focused on getting the potion right that she hadn't realized that she'd said anything remarkable.

"You called me James," he supplied helpfully.

She blushed and chanced a glance up at him. Her tone was somewhat defensive as she answered, "Well we're friends, aren't we?"

"Friends," he agreed, a pleasurable squirm shivering its way through his stomach. "So, _Lily,_" he said, laying a particular emphasis on her name. "Wanna add these bits of grass?" He was trying his best to downplay his triumph, and the only outlet other than whooping for joy or seizing her face and kissing her was to focus on the potion before them. He offered the twists of lemongrass to her with a smile, and she took them, glancing at the proportions before tossing them into the bubbling potion.

It was an odd thing that the pair of them were able to work together so smoothly now. In fact, despite the few hiccups they had had in terms of disagreements, she and James had gotten on reasonably well. Now that he had pointed it out, Lily had to admit that she had long since ceased referring to the boy as merely "Potter" a long time ago. Slowly but surely, he had become "James" in her head; it was only natural she would call him by his first name now.

Professor Slughorn's voice interrupted her train of thought as he addressed the class, "By now you should all have completed step four of the brewing process. If you will notice, step five instructs us to leave the potion simmering for at least thirty-one hours, which makes this our stopping point. I believe you have just enough time to pack your things before the bell rings. Leave your cauldrons as they are, and I'll see that they're stored safely away until our next class."

He resumed his seat at his desk while the students began cleaning up the stray bits of lemongrass and squashed shrivelfig from their desks. As Lily was sweeping bits of rubbish from their desk into the bin, James began packing up his scales and potion book. After a moment's internal struggle, he reached across the table and gathered Lily's things up, too.

"Hey," she said. "James, you don't have to do that!" She felt a funny flip in her stomach, and her cheeks tinged pink as she wondered if, given this inch of friendship, James would try to take the relationship a whole mile further.

He looked up at her, a blank expression of innocence upon his features, and said mildly, "Lily, don't be ridiculous."

While she sat awkwardly wondering if she ought to thank him or tell him off, James finished putting her things into her bag and handed it to her with a reassuring smile.

"Consider it my way of thanking you for letting me work with the best student in the class."

Lily opened her mouth to protest, but promptly shut it again. Was she really going to complain about him being a gentleman when this was a character trait in short supply at Hogwarts? And, really, putting her things away was a far cry from him sending her an obnoxious singing valentine like he had back in fifth year, though she suspected his motives were still the same. In the end, she decided not to cause an argument. Instead, she took her bag as he held it out to her and slung it over her shoulder.

"Thanks," she said, shifting her weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. After a few moments' silence, she realized that Marlene and Mary were now standing in the doorway, waiting for her, and she turned to walk towards them, calling to James over her shoulder, "I'll see you in Charms, then."

"See you," he called after her, shouldering his own school bag. For a moment, James stood in the empty classroom wishing he'd mustered the nerve to see if Lily would sit with him at lunch. But then, he reasoned, perhaps that would have been pushing things a bit too far for one day, especially when he'd already made considerable progress in getting them on a first name basis. Next time he'd see if he could convince her to join him, he decided, then left the Potions classroom to meet the lads in the Great Hall.


	8. Red Versus Black

The weeks of October rolled peacefully by, with nothing much out of the ordinary to disrupt the flow of school life. There had been that one Tuesday when, just after lunch, half of the fifth floor corridor had been transfigured into a forest whose leaves matched the bright autumn hues of the trees outside the castle walls. Filch, the ever-irritable caretaker, had been incensed. His anger had been shared, though to a lesser degree, by the teachers whose classroom doors were now blocked by enormous, moss-covered tree trunks and whose students had decided to spend their afternoon frolicking in the forest instead of sitting at their desks. The first year Hufflepuffs had even begun a very exciting game of tag that had ended abruptly when Professor McGonagall had arrived on the scene and, less than ten minutes later, waved her wand and returned the corridor to its original state. No culprit had officially been found, although the entire school knew who had done it. Privately, Lily shared their suspicion - she had noticed James and the boys' absence during lunch that day - but she was disinclined to mention any of this to anyone. This was partly because she did not want to deal with the hassle of reporting evidence, but also because she had been impressed by the difficult piece of magic they had managed to perform. And, really, this prank was absolutely harmless compared to those of earlier years. No one had been hurt or embarrassed, and everyone (except Filch) had had a good laugh.

Aside from this minor disturbance, life at Hogwarts continued as usual. The weather outside the castle walls grew stormier and colder, and the rooms and corridors of Hogwarts seemed cozier and warmer by contrast. Golden flames now crackled constantly in the Gryffindor Common Room and in fireplaces throughout the castle. As October drew to a close, excitement began to rustle through the student body once more. Tonight would be the Halloween Feast, which meant copious amounts of sweets and hilarious antics by the castle ghosts. Tomorrow it would be November, which meant the beginning of the Quidditch season. Already, students had begun sporting their house colors more frequently in a preemptive show of team solidarity.

For the seventh year Potions students, today was doubly exciting. Last Friday, Professor Slughorn had informed them that the Veritaserum on which they had been studiously working the entire month of October would be completed today. Thus far in their academic careers, this was the longest they had ever spent on one potion, and all of them were anxious to know how four weeks of toil had turned out. Their gratification, however, would have to be delayed another hour and a half by first period Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Fortunately, Professor Killeborne had chosen to make today a practicum rather than a lecture. Once his students had settled into their desks, he addressed the class, "Books away, everyone, and wands out. Today we'll be practicing all the nonverbal spell work I've been lecturing you on."

There was a scramble of books and chairs scraping as twenty students hurried to shove their textbooks back in their bags and get out their wands. Killeborne waited for the noise to die down, then held up a sheet of parchment in his hand as he continued, "I've divided you into pairs to practice the techniques we've been learning. Listen carefully, please. I don't want to have to read this more than once."

At this instruction, the majority of the students stopped whispering to one another and turned their attention to the front of the classroom. Lily was among them, although she continued surreptitiously passing notes with Marlene, who was seated beside her. She listened intently for her own name, idly wondering who she'd be paired with in this class. When the words "Black and Evans" fell from the professor's mouth, she got her answer. Mildly surprised, she turned around in her seat to search out her new partner's location.

Sirius was, as she'd suspected, in the back row of the class, seated between James and Remus. His back was turned on the rest of the class, and he was barely paying attention to the proceedings, as he was too busy recounting some humorous story to James. He did, however, hear his name being called along with the Head Girl's, and this was sufficient incentive for him to leave off his story telling and participate in class.

"Bad luck, Prongs," he teased, smirking at the poorly concealed disappointment on his best mate's face. "I'll try not to be too hard on her."

This last jibe earned him a glare from James, but Sirius laughed it off and sauntered over to the seat beside Lily that Marlene had just vacated.

"'Lo Evans," he said, flashing a charming smile.

"Hey yourself," she responded, regarding him curiously out of the corner of her eye while she listened to Professor Killeborne instructing the class that they would only be practicing nonverbal disarming and shield spells right now. Over the course of the past month as she and James had become better friends, Lily had, by sheer necessity, struck up an acquaintance with Sirius as well. This would be the first time she'd ever spent any time alone with him, though, and she was curious to see how it would turn out. Her musings were cut short as the class, at Killeborne's request, stood up and began moving the desks to the sides of the room.

Sirius rose as well and began pushing aside both their desks to clear them some space.

"We can practice over here, I s'pose," he said.

"Sure," Lily responded, reaching over to pick up her wand from where she'd left it in the pencil groove of the desk. "So do you want to go first?"

He shrugged.

"Nah. Ladies first, of course." Pulling his wand from the pocket of his robes, he raised his wand arm and smirked confidently at her, "Go on, Red. Hit me with your best shot."

Smiling wryly, she countered, "I didn't know you were such a gentleman, Black." She leveled her own wand at him and took up a rather stiff, contrived "fighting stance," feeling rather silly as she stared at him and thought, _Expelliarmus!_ As Lily had absolutely no experience with dueling outside of class, she felt generally awkward about the whole exercise and wasn't exactly sure how to proceed.

Her partner, who had considerably more experience with dueling, was amused by the bizarre pose she had just taken, but he kindly refrained from mentioning this and waited instead for her spell to hit him. Sirius knew from previous experience that, in a duel, it is more important to watch your opponent's face than her wand, and so he was able to think, _Protego!_ just as the jet of red light erupted from Lily's wand and thus prevent his wand from flying out of his hand.

Lily was slightly disappointed when her disarming spell bounced harmlessly off Sirius' shield, but she hadn't expected anything else, as his reputation as a dueler was well-known among the students of their year. She relaxed for a moment and asked the more experienced lad in front of her, "Don't you feel kind of... silly just standing here thinking at each other?"

He, however, had taken advantage of her lapse in concentration to mentally disarm her, and he grinned as her wand flew out of her hand and landed a few feet away.

"Not unless it works," he answered. "But I do think this practice with disarming only is silly and useless." Really. This class exercise was child's play. He and James had mastered this stuff a year ago. Even Peter could nonverbally disarm someone by now.

"Hey!" Lily exclaimed as her wand was magically ripped from her hand. She glared at Sirius for what she viewed as a cheap shot, realizing at the same time that if he was going to be sneaky about this, she'd have to play along. She stalked over to retrieve her wand, then turned and faced him again with a very determined expression on her face. Lily was not usually a very competitive person, but she had just decided that she would like nothing better than to best Sirius Black at his own game and wipe that smug smirk off his face by the end of the class period.

"On your guard, Red," Sirius teased, either ignoring or oblivious to the ire he had just incited. "If you want, we can make this a little more entertaining instead of just using stupid defense spells."

She hesitated a moment and glanced towards the back corner of the classroom where James and Remus were obviously throwing more than just "Expelliarmus" and "Protego" spells at one another. Whatever they were doing, Professor Killeborne had not yet noticed, and it _would_ get boring quickly if she and Sirius kept throwing the same two spells at one another.

"All right then," she agreed. "And since when did I become 'Red'?" Without waiting for a response, she walked back over to their corner, flicking her wand as she went and sending a Jelly Legs Jinx his way.

This time, it was Sirius' turn to be caught off-guard.

"Oy!" he exclaimed as he fell to the ground. Jumping to his feet, he jerked his wand in her direction and sent a hair-coloring jinx at her. "You can be blue if you like."

Lily threw up a shield charm just in time and watched him stumble to his feet with a smirk on her face.

"No thanks. I actually like red," she answered.

As soon as he was standing again, she sent another disarming spell at him, but Sirius was ready for this one. He blocked it easily, grinning all the while. He hadn't expected to so easily persuade the Head Girl, who he considered rather uptight, to flout a professor's instructions. Now that he'd succeeded, he was enjoying himself immensely, although he was being careful to throw only light jinxes at Lily, as he knew James was probably watching them out of the corner of his eye. He didn't need his besotted best friend storming over and ruining their duel out of some chivalrous concern for Lily's safety. Sirius' suspicion was, of course, correct. James' attention was divided between his own duel with Remus and the one going on between Sirius and Lily, and Remus had the upper hand because of it.

"Well I like Red too. It's a compliment," Sirius said, circling her as soon as his balance was regained and sending a _Rictusempra_ jinx flying towards her.

Lily winked saucily at him, "Aw gee thanks. I suppose I could get- whoops!" She was interrupted mid-sentence as she dove out of the way of the swirling jet of yellow light coming at her from Sirius' wand. Stumbling, she flicked her wand over her shoulder and flung a trip jinx in his' direction as she stood back up and resumed her fighting stance. Then, just for good measure, she cast a shield charm on herself.

Not noticing the shield charm she'd cast on herself, he blocked her trip jinx, countered with a leg locker curse, and had to jump aside when it bounced off her shield.

"Oh ho! Tricky little bird, aren't you?" he asked, impressed. Evans was getting the hang of this quicker than he'd expected.

"You know what they say. It's always the sweet, innocent looking ones you have to watch out for," Lily responded, beginning to enjoy herself as well.

"Hardly sweet and innocent," Sirius countered with a roll of his eyes. "We all know how much fire you can pack."

In response, she swished her wand upwards and imagined Sirius spinning round and round like a top as she cast her next jinx, having found that it was very helpful to imagine the jinx hitting him when she cast it.

The spinning jinx hit Sirius squarely on the chest, and he spun until he fell on his bum, looking dizzily around.

"Oh that was mean," he informed her, casting a shield charm while he waited for his head to stop spinning.

Pleasantly surprised that her jinx had worked, Lily burst into giggles as she watched him whirl around.  
"Oh how the mighty have fallen..," she teased.

Sirius scowled. So she didn't want to play nice then? Fine by him. His head was still spinning, but he managed to stand up and fire a pair of spells at her. First another trip jinx and then a _Levicorpus_.

She cast a shield for the first jinx, but didn't expect it to be followed immediately by another. A shocked gasp flew from her lips as she was hoisted into the air by an ankle.

"SIRIUS!" she exclaimed, feeling all the blood rush to her head. Thankfully, it was cold enough today for her to be wearing tights, otherwise the entire class would have discovered she had chosen a pair of lacy blue knickers to wear this morning.

"HA! Hanging out Evans?" Sirius asked, grinning in triumph as he held her there. In the next instant, he spied James glaring furiously at him, and, rather than risk James' wrath, Sirius flicked his wand again to let the redhead down.

Lily, however, had not been expecting to be let down any more than she had expected to be lifted into the air, and she tumbled to the floor with an "oof." Righteously indignant at the treatment she had just received, she did not bother getting up and immediately threw a Tarantallegra hex at Sirius. Two seconds later, she shot another spinning jinx at him, hoping that one of the two would catch him unawares.

Sirius managed to jump aside of the first jinx, but the second hit him and he lost his balance again as he spun around like a top.

"I hate those!" he exclaimed, angry himself now. "Okay no more Mr. Nice Guy." Jumping to his feet again, he raised his wand and began firing random jinxes in rapid succession, trying to force her on the defensive.

"Oh you know how to be nice, do you?" Lily asked, but the smirk was wiped off her face as he began shooting jinx after jinx at her, and she was forced to start dodging and backing away from him, casting one shield charm after another.

By this point, over half the class had stopped to watch their battle of wands, including Remus and James, who was on the verge of interfering on Lily's behalf. Before he could raise his wand, however, Professor Killeborne finally noticed what was going on in the back of his classroom. He raced forward, pulling out his own wand to disarm both students, and barked, "I SAID DISARMING AND SHIELD SPELLS ONLY, SIRIUS BLACK! STOP THIS INSTANT!"

Sirius was jolted out of the "fight" portion of his fight or flight mentality by the sensation of his wand flying out of his hand. He came to his senses to find Killeborne frowning sternly down at him and quickly slipped a penitent mask over his handsome features.

"Aw come on, Professor. I wouldn't hurt her."

"Five points from Gryffindor," was Killeborne's response as he handed their wands back. Lily frowned as she reached for her wand; she was much more used to earning house points than losing them.

Returning to the front of the classroom, Killeborne addressed his students again, "While they may have gotten a bit carried away, Evans and Black have just given us an excellent demonstration of how useful a nonverbal spell can be in a duel. And how tricky they are to block. There are, however, a few tricks you ought to know about discerning what sort of spell is about to be thrown at you. If you'll all take your seats again, we'll try to get through all of them before the bell rings."

Before he returned to his seat, Sirius turned to Lily and asked, "Any jinxes still on you?"

Mildly surprised that he was being considerate enough to ask, Lily shook her head. "Nope. You?"

"Nah. Good practice though," he responded, giving her a friendly smile and heading back to his usual seat between Remus and James.  
"Wipe that look off your face, Potter, she's fine."

"I think it's the _points_ you lost that are getting to him," Remus teased, amused.

In truth, James could care less about losing five house points. He had hardly even noticed they had been lost, as he was still getting over the chilling sensation of watching Lily being hoisted helplessly into the air.  
"_Levicorpus_, Padfoot?" he hissed, "I thought we reserved that one for Snivellus and his slimy housemates."

"She _spun_ me!" Sirius protested, unable to see what the big deal was. "I was running out of ideas okay? That one I can do without even thinking, I've done it so much. Besides, she's not mad."

"I don't think reserving them..," Remus began, then sighed and returned to taking notes on the lecture. "I'm not even going to bother."

James ignored Remus' comment and continued berating his best mate for his serious breach of etiquette.  
"Ooooh she spun you. What are you, a pansy?" he muttered.

Sirius rolled his eyes. He was not the sort of bloke to get all noble and protective of women. As far as he was concerned, whether you wore skirts or pants, you were fair game if you decided to duel with him.  
"Oh get over yourself. I wouldn't have hurt her, Merlin. She's a lot more powerful than you give her credit for. Could have held her own just fine without you whining about it from the side lines."

"Yeah but you know a hell of a lot more jinxes than she does," James countered.

"And I didn't use any of those. For a reason."

"Can you two stop arguing like a married couple?" Remus interrupted. "I'm trying to listen." Both boys looked mildly ashamed by this comment and immediately fell silent and began scribbling notes of their own.

"I thought it was cool at the end. She blocks really good," Peter commented while scrawling away at his own lecture notes, and James, now that he had had time to cool down a bit, found himself agreeing with his friend's assessment.

Just as Sirius had claimed, Lily was not mad at all about the rather intense duel in which she had just participated. Instead, she was enjoying a hushed congratulatory discussion with Marlene while both girls took notes on the rest of the lecture. When the bell rang, she bid the blonde farewell in the corridor and waited beside the door for James and his friends to leave the classroom.  
"Ready to finish that potion of ours?" she asked James, falling into step beside him as he and Sirius walked through the doorway. Since they were headed in the same direction and would be sharing the same cauldron for the next hour and a half, it had become something of a habit over the past few weeks for Lily to walk to Potions with James.

"Long as Slughorn's not planning to give all that Veritaserum to Filch for student interrogations, then yeah," he answered, feeling that familiar thrill race down his spine as the object of his undying affections began walking down the corridor at his side. He had been over the moon the first time Lily had deigned to accompany him to Potions. The only way this new habit of hers could get any better was if he could hold her hand as they walked, but James realized that, for the moment at least, he would have to be content with just her conversation.

"Say, Evans," Sirius said, eager to change the topic to anything not involving Filch, "I think that dye jinx might actually have hit you. Your hair's starting to look kinda purple."

"What?" she exclaimed, pulling a lock of hair over her shoulder to inspect it. Seeing that her hair was still its usual copper color, she realized with relief that he was merely joking. Leaning around James to look at Sirius, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Need me to spin some manners into you, Black?"

For half a second, he looked mildly nervous, as Lily's hand had begun to stray in the direction of her robes pocket, but he quickly recovered himself.  
"Now, now, Miss Evans, you wouldn't attack me with the Head Boy standing right there."

"Hate to break it to you, Padfoot," James interjected, grinning, "But the Head Boy wouldn't care. He'd actually rather like to see you fall on your arse again."

Lily began to giggle, and Sirius glared at his so-called best mate.  
"Humph. You wouldn't be laughing about it if she'd tried it on you. Bloody nasty that one is. Where'd you learn to jinx like that, Red? Have you been sneaking around hexing Slytherins all this time?"

Her cheeks flushed slightly at the praise and the insinuation, and Lily gave a little toss of her head as she replied, "Maybe I'm just naturally talented like that."

In light of what had just occurred in the Defense classroom, Sirius could not exactly deny this suggestion. He was saved from having to invent a retort by their arrival at the door of the Potions classroom.  
"Maybe," was all he said as he hurried over to the very pretty and also rather clever Ravenclaw witch who was his current Potions partner.

"Poor Sirius doesn't know what to say," James commented as he and Lily took their seats behind their cauldron. "He's not used to losing duels."

"He didn't exactly lose. It was more of a draw," she countered.

"Well still," he asserted, smiling over at her. "It was pretty impressive. Really."

Lily leaned over to unpack her schoolbag in attempt to hide her blush.  
"Thanks," she said, "It was kinda fun."

Since her back was turned to him, James took this brief opportunity to observe the endearing flush on her cheeks. Before she could turn around and catch him staring, he began setting out their scales and ingredients and asked, "So we're on... step fifty-one today, was it?" He fumbled in his bag for his Potions textbook, but Lily beat him to the punch.

"Yes. And there are only fifty-four steps in the whole thing," she said, scanning the appropriate page of her own book. "Oh but these last steps are kind of... complex."

Scooting closer on the bench to read over her shoulder, James flashed her a debonair grin.  
"Nothing we can't handle."

"True," she agreed and set the open textbook on their worktable. "So! Let's begin. Step fifty-one says to stir clockwise until the potion turns mint green and then, while still stirring, add exactly two point six centigrams of Jabberknoll feather fluff."  
Then, because James had bent down to light the fire underneath their cauldron, she added quickly, "Oh and! We're supposed to complete this step while the potion is still cool."

He immediately stood up, grimacing apologetically.  
"Right. Sorry. Are we keeping it cool the rest of the way?"

"Erm... Let's see," Lily responded, flipping the page to read the instructions for the remaining three steps. "We light it again for the last two steps."

James nodded and moved to the worktable to begin stripping their pile of Jabberknoll feathers of their fluff.  
"D'you want to stir while I weight out the fluff and pour it in?"

"Sure," she said, picking up the long-handled wooden spoon from the table and stepping over to the cauldron, whose contents were currently a muddy brown color. For the next forty minutes, Lily and James worked in tandem. By the time the class period was halfway through, the contents of their cauldron had achieved the trademark odorless, colorless state of true Veritaserum.

"The last step's to add a dash of bicorn horn," James said. He fiddled through his potions kit to retrieve the little vial of pearly blue powder and held it out to her.  
"I'll let you do the honors."

Smiling, Lily took the vial from his hand and poured a little pile of the powder into the palm of her hand. With the grace of an expert chef salting his soup, she held her hand over the cauldron and flicked the required dash of bicorn horn into the potion. The contents fizzed and steamed for a few moments as the powder dissolved, then returned to their former clear state. Lily leaned over the cauldron and sniffed experimentally, then her face broke into a proud grin.  
"We did it!" she said, beaming at James. Her eyes began to glimmer mischievously as she suggested, "Why don't you swallow a sip of it, and we'll see if we really did it right."

"I didn't know you were so keen on learning all my deepest, darkest secrets, Lily," he said, smirking down at her.

She blushed prettily, but retorted, "Oh it's not for me. I merely thought Professor McGonagall might like to know where you were last Tuesday at lunch when that corridor suddenly became a forest."

James had the grace to look slightly ashamed, but his hazel eyes were twinkling as he shot back, "So you noticed my absence, did you? I'm touched."

At this point, their conversation was ended by the arrival of Professor Slughorn, who had begun making the rounds of all the cauldrons in the classroom to inspect his students' progress. As usual, he began with his favorite student, but this time there was an odd mixture of excitement and apprehension on his face as he strolled over to Lily and James' cauldron. The Potions Master was facing something of a conundrum, as he would simultaneously have to inspect the work of his favorite and least favorite students. His propensity to find fault with James was warring with his instinct to praise James' partner. However, when he reached their cauldron, he was so delighted to find their potion already finished (and looking and smelling as though it were perfectly brewed) that he forgot the minor grudge he bore.  
"Merlin's beard, I think you've done it!" he exclaimed. With a flick of his wand, he produced a ladle out of thin air and dipped it into the cauldron so that he might better inspect its contents. Lifting the now-full ladle to his nose, he sniffed it carefully and concluded, "Odorless and colorless, just as it should be. Of course we can't actually test its quality, unless any of you want to start spilling your secrets to all your classmates-" He paused and glanced around the room but, as he'd suspected, none of the seventh years volunteered for the task. "-At any rate, this looks like a fine specimen of Veritaserum. Excellent work Miss Evans, Mr. Potter. Full marks for both of you."

And as he turned to inspect the next cauldron, Slughorn smiled at Lily and James in turn, much to the latter's surprise. This unusual display of approval did not go unnoticed by Lily either. Once Slughorn was out of hearing distance, she leaned over to whisper in James' ear, "Looks like he doesn't hate you after all. Maybe you ought to partner with me every time. He can't seem to dislike you when you're in my vicinity."

"Maybe I _should_ stick around, then," he whispered back, a little thrill jolting through his stomach at the feeling of her breath on his ear.

To his delight, Lily shrugged in response and said, "Fine by me. I didn't know you were this good around a cauldron, and you're not nearly as bossy as Severus was."

James nearly fainted with joy. However, he managed to pull himself together, bolstered by the fact that she had just, for the first time in his memory, favorably compared him to Snape. He shot her a grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners.  
"You've got it, then," he said. "Potter and Evans, the newest unstoppable Potions duo."

She laughed in appreciation of his verbal antics and stood up to begin packing away their supplies.

The pair of them continued chatting quietly and amiably throughout the rest of the lesson, as Professor Slughorn finished his rounds of the room. He then assumed his usual position behind his desk, and smoothed a tuft of his mustache that had grown unruly thanks to the copious amounts of steam drifting through the dungeon. Clearing his throat and lacing his fingers across his belly, he addressed the class.

"You all have received your marks based on the progress made in the last month. As this is a very complicated potion to brew, I expect you are all feeling quite capable as potioneers. But it's not enough to be able to simply _do_ the thing- you've got to understand the basic principles behind the act of potion-making. Any fool with a basic knowledge of how to read can follow an ingredients list, but it takes a real master to grasp how and why the different elements blend together. And so, in order to check that the lot of you, as my N.E.W.T. students, fully comprehend the complexities of that which you have just accomplished, I'd like you to write an essay for me. Two rolls of parchment, due on my desk on Monday, about the properties- both magical and mundane- of all the ingredients of Veritaserum, their application in this Potion, possible improper outcomes of incorrectly measured ingredients or a mismanaged process, and the advantages and disadvantages of the use of the potion itself."

A few in the class let out a groan. Professor Slughorn shook his head, undeterred by the lack of enthusiasm. "Now, see here!" he exclaimed. "As seventh years, you must embrace the oft-overwhelming nature of academia. I trust you all will accomplish this assignment with the professionalism and panache befitting Hogwart's finest. Now, off you go!"

Even Lily, who usually enjoyed Potions assignments, found two rolls of parchment to be a bit excessive, and she sighed heavily as she and James left the classroom together.  
"Two rolls of parchment, and we only get a week?" she protested, sagging against the corridor wall while they waited for Sirius to join them. "I guess I know where I'll be tonight."

"The library?" James guessed, and she nodded in response.

"Surely you're not missing the feast," said Sirius, who had joined them in time to hear the tail end of the conversation.

"Oh.. well no," she answered, "But honestly, I think Muggles have a much better way of celebrating than Hogwarts does."

Sirius grimaced.  
"What, the costumes thing? We saw pictures of that in Muggle Studies, Prongs and I. Don't see why your Muggle blokes have to run round in tights and capes even if its just one night of the year."

Lily was momentarily confused by his reference, then she remembered one of the more popular male Halloween costumes of her childhood and began to giggle.  
"But Sirius, you'd make such a good Batman. Are you saying you couldn't pull it off?"

"Red, you're talking to the only bloke in this school who can make a cape and tights look sexy. Or manly," he answered, his expression entirely earnest.

"Oi! 'M right here, Padfoot," James interjected, feeling that his own masculinity had been somewhat slighted by Sirius' comment.

Lily giggled again.  
"You could always go as Superman, James."

"Super who?" he queried, missing the reference entirely.

"Oh I know what this is," Sirius said, smirking down at the redhead beside him. "Youuu just want to see what we look like in tights."

"Do not!" she protested immediately, a rosy flush staining her cheeks. A few beats later, she added saucily, "At least.. I don't want to see _your_ giant bum in a pair of tights."

This joking statement produced polar opposite reactions in the boys as they accompanied her through the doors of the Great Hall. James' eyes widened, then he smirked proudly across Lily's head at Sirius, having chosen to take her jest as an actual compliment. Sirius, on the other hand, looked affronted.  
"My arse is not fat!" he exclaimed, which caused Lily to burst into giggles again.

"I'm just teasing. Honestly, Sirius, you're as vain as a _girl_."

"And prettier than most of them too," he responded cheerily, turning his head to wink at her as he took a seat between Remus and Peter at the Gryffindor table.

Rather than argue with this statement, Lily merely rolled her eyes and sat across from him. James nabbed the seat beside her and helped himself to a glass of pumpkin juice while Peter looked up from his plate of cottage pie and asked, "How was Potions today?"

"Good," the Head Boy replied as he began to load his own plate with cottage pie. "We finally finished the Veritaserum."

"And James finally got a smile from Professor Slughorn," Lily added.

"He did?" asked Remus rather incredulously. "So he's finally gotten over the crystallized pineapple prank?"

"Nah," Sirius answered around the bite of bread in his mouth. "He was probably just too busy bowing at Evans' feet to even notice ol' Prongs was there."

"You're horrible," she informed him, then joined in the good-natured laughter of the little group.

Their conversation drifted from discussing classes to bemoaning their homework loads to making predictions for the upcoming Quidditch season. James was so engrossed in listing all the reasons why Gryffindor would most certainly flatten Hufflepuff this Saturday that he didn't notice a gray eagle owl soar through the open window near the ceiling of the Great Hall and wing its way towards him. In fact, he didn't notice Icarus' arrival until the owl had dropped a letter on his head. Wincing, he picked up the envelope from where it had fallen on the table beside his glass and turned it over. His expression morphed into a happy smile as he recognized his mother's handwriting, and he quickly tore open the envelope to begin reading the letter inside. 

His happiness was quickly tainted by the fact that for the third time this term, James' mum had addressed him by either the wrong name or included some gravely misspelled word. James had laughed initially at his mum's calling him by his late aunt's name. And yet, as the letters continued, James noticed more and more simple errors. Though not much of a grammatical aficionado himself, it was impossible to deny that something was definitely amiss. His mother was no dunce; Marla Potter had gained a subtle notoriety as an herbalist in the town in which she lived with her husband and son. She had homeschooled James through his primary years, as no Muggle school ought to have had to deal with the borderline hyperactive little boy. James had always known his mother was extremely intelligent, so it was odd to see her make such flagrant errors.

_Dearest Janie;_

_I hope you are having a good term. Your father and I were pleased to hear from you when you wrote us earlier this week. You said Potions class is going well? We are, of course, delighted, as that seems to have been a subject in which you struggled in years past. We are so very proud of you, and I hope you know that. I had a chance to meet with Betsy Evans for tea, and we had a lovely chat and lots of crumpets! Do pass my "hello" on to her charming daughter, won't you? _

James glanced up at Lily, a smile tipping one corner of his mouth, despite the fact that he had yet again been referred to by the incorrect name. It would be a bit awkward for him to actually pass along the message. How would he phrase it in a way that didn't come off as overly obsessive? He returned to the letter, deciding he would sort that out later. They had been on especially good terms this past week- it would be a shame to muck that all up for the sake of a greeting from his mother.

_Anyway, I was pleased to hear that training is going well. Thank you for replying so speedily to my last letter! Your workload I can't believe you're already a sixth year-_

"Hang on," James said, reading the line again.

Remus looked over, eyebrows raised. "Everything alright, mate?" he asked, reaching for his goblet of pumpkin juice.

James blinked hard and shook his head. "It's... nothing. Just, my mum's a bit off her nut, or something. She's..." he forced a laugh, though something seemed very off indeed. "She's called me a sixth year."

Remus blinked. "That's odd. Maybe she got distracted, or something," he said, unsure of how to cover for Marla's misstep.

"Well, it's not as if shes got another kid to confuse me with," James said, turning his attention back to the letter, a sensation of unease growing in the pit of his stomach.  
_  
-And before you know it, it'll be your last term and you'll be studying for NEWTs and thinking about post-Hogwarts placement. Keep up with your studies now, and you'll eliminate stress later on._

_Do try and stay out of trouble, my dear. Although, I will admit the post's been a bit lonesome without all the disciplinary notices from school. _

_I already can't wait to see you at Christmas! Let my other boys know they're always welcome to come round and stay with us for the holidays. _

_All my love,_

_Mum_

"Well..." James said, pocketing the letter. "You're all invited for Christmas. Means you too, Evans," he grinned, hoping the use of her surname would highlight the fact that he was only joking. "Anyway, I've just remembered I left my essay upstairs. See you in class!" It was a lie; James' Charms essay was securely stowed in his schoolbag. However, he wanted a chance to read over his mother's letter once more. Perhaps, on his own and away from all the noisy distraction of the Great Hall at lunchtime, he would discover that he had misread. It was a funny thing, really. How could a mother of an only child forget something as simple as his year in school? His stomach growled, and he made a mental note to pop by the Kitchens after class to pick up some of the cottage pie that had been served in the Great Hall. _It was nothing,_ he thought as he climbed the steps,_surely..._

Back in the Great Hall, the boys watched the back of their speedily retreating best mate. James had left in such a hurry that none of them had had time for so much as a "see you later," and now they were all left staring at one another in a bit of confusion. 

"He's been a bit odd about receiving letters from her lately," observed Peter, reaching for the butter for his bread and finally breaking the silence.

"Well I imagine it's a bit disconcerting to have your mum write something like that," Lily chimed in. "I guess this is just.. part of growing old?" 

"How old _is_ she, then?" asked Sirius. "Don't think I've ever asked him. I mean, she isn't decrepit or anything."

"Sirius! What a thing to say," Lily exclaimed, looking slightly scandalized.

"Oh lighten up, Red. I didn't mean it like that," he said. And he really hadn't. Sirius was rather fond of both Marla and Charlus Potter, as they had often extended him an open invite to stay at their home when things at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place go a bit too heavy to handle, and he, too, was perplexed and a bit worried by all the weird mistakes his erstwhile mother had been making in her letters of late.

"I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she's had a lot on her mind of late," said Remus. Then, feeling a change of subject was in order, he said, "I think I'll try to stop by over the holiday. I'm assuming you'll be there the whole time, Sirius?"

The black-haired fellow nodded in response. "Of course. What about you, Pete?"

Peter's reply was quick, "Of course. At least for a couple days. You really should visit, Lily. We always have loads of fun."

"Oh er.. we'll see," was her vague reply. As new as she and James' friendship was, she found it hard to believe that his Mum had really included her in the invitation to visit over Christmas. But it was a nice gesture, despite the fact that she had no idea what on earth she would do if she actually _did_ venture to the Potters' home.

The group of them were joined by Marlene and Mary only a few moments later, and Lily had no more time to wonder what visiting the Potters would be like. Mary had apparently walked in on an extremely heated snogging session in an corner between Greenhouses Five and Six on her way back up from Care of Magical Creatures, and soon recounted the entire dramatic affair for the table. Within a few moments, worries about James' mum had drifted to the back of everyone's mind, and the group was lost to pleasant chatting and nice food until the bell reminded them they were very nearly late for Charms.


	9. The First Match

The next Saturday dawned bright and cold; the perfect weather for a Quidditch game. The promise of an exciting battle of brooms between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses was enough to rouse the student body from their beds early; thus, by nine o'clock in the morning, the corridors and Great Hall were crowded with chattering students. The third floor girls bathroom, however, was quiet and still; its one occupant in the leftmost stall had no one to giggle with and so she was silent. Then, the door burst open and two more girls walked in. One was clothed head to toe in black and yellow; the other, a blonde, wore no particular colors but was sporting a large button on her equally large chest that alternated between a bright red message declaring her belief in "Potter Power" and a head shot of the man himself, winking and grinning for the camera. Both girls crossed to the sinks on the left-hand wall of the bathroom, set their purses on the ledge and began touching up their makeup.

"I can't believe you're actually going to wear that, Leslie" said Nancy Davis, glancing sideways at her blonde companion. "Where's your Hufflepuff loyalty?"

"I _am_ being loyal," Leslie Olcott informed her. "To _James_."

Nancy eyed her skeptically in the mirror as she leaned forward to pat more foundation on her face.  
"You really think you can get him to ask you out next Hogsmeade weekend?" she asked. "He's probably planning to ask Evans out again. This _is_ James Potter we're talking about."

"He is not!" Leslie informed her, tossing her head arrogantly. "Juliette Hughes told me last Thursday that she overheard Marlene McKinnon telling Mary MacDonald that James hasn't asked Evans out for months now."

"He hasn't?" Nancy said, her eyes growing wide as she accepted without question the veracity of this third-hand information.

Leslie shook her head, pulled a tube of lipstick from her purse and added a layer of ruby red to her lips as she said confidently, "Nuh uh. So it's obvious he has _finally_ gotten over that obnoxious bint and is ready to move on to someone better for him." She pursed her lips and smiled vainly at her reflection in the mirror, adding, "Someone who appreciates him, who can _really_ show him a good time."

"Someone like you?" Nancy asked, smiling.

"Duh!" Leslie exclaimed, turning her head this way and that to examine her reflection one last time. Having decided that her makeup was sufficiently perfect to merit an entrance into the Great Hall, she replaced her makeup bag in her purse and tugged on Nancy's elbow.  
"C'mon. We have to get there before the teams head to the locker rooms," she urged. Nancy shrugged, zipped up her own purse, and followed her friend out of the bathroom.

A few seconds passed, then the door of the last stall opened and Lily Evans stepped out and peered cautiously around. Once she was certain the other girls had left, she walked over to the sinks and washed her hands. Though she remained silent, her thoughts were anything but calm. The past few minutes had unfolded much differently than she had expected. She had only planned to dash in and out of the loo and catch up with Mary and Marlene at the Gryffindor table. She had never though she would find herself hiding inside her stall and listening to two of her schoolmates toss her name about with such obvious dislike while they plotted about one of her friends.

So Leslie Olcott was gunning for James, was she? And she thought she actually had a chance with him? A derisive smirk twisted Lily's lips as she rinsed the soap from her hands, and a tiny spark of some white-hot, unpleasant emotion that she did not recognize flamed in her chest. There was absolutely no way that was happening. James would never want anything to do with a girl like Leslie, whom Lily privately considered to be catty and immature. He was much too good for her. Even more irksome were Leslie's comments about Lily herself. She had been sorely tempted to burst out of her stall upon hearing herself described as an "obnoxious bint" and had only just managed to reign in her temper. What right did Leslie have to call her such names anyway? Apparently the only 'crime' she'd ever committed was to refuse all of James' past attempts to get her to date him. She had always resented the unspoken but obvious opinion of the student body that she ought to give in to James' requests and go out with him. The fact that she was now his friend and no longer considered him an arrogant berk did not make Leslie's expression of this opinion any less infuriating.

Lily left the bathroom still in something of a tiff and hurried downstairs to the Great Hall to find Marlene and Mary. By the time she located them, waiting just outside the doors, her thoughts had returned to more pleasant subjects, and there was a smile on her face as she and her friends entered the Great Hall. Roughly half of the breakfasters were sporting scarlet and gold; the other half (rather, all of Slytherin and Hufflepuff houses) wore black and yellow. Lily, Mary and Marlene fit right into the crowd, as they had purposefully dressed in coordinating Gryffindor colors today: Lily in a gold sweater, Marlene in scarlet and Mary in stripes.

As the three girls walked down the aisle between tables, Lily scanned the Gryffindor table for James and his friends and found him seated in the middle of the table, munching away at what looked to be a sandwich of scrambled eggs and toast. Plopping down beside him, she grinned and asked, "Ready for the big game?" Marlene and Mary sat down beside her and smiled in greeting at all four boys.

James looked up from his sandwich and answered, "Oh, yeah, definitely. Weather couldn't be better."

Sirius, who, like James, was already dressed in his uniform, grinned across the table at Marlene. "Morning, McKinnon. Y'look festive."

She smiled and flushed lightly.  
"Thanks. Just showing my Gryffindor pride is all."

James nodded appreciatively at the girls' show of team spirit, and gave an exaggerated sigh as he said, "I almost hate to give Hufflepuff _such_ a beating.."

"'Almost' being the operative word," said Remus with a grin, earning himself a good-natured swat from James.

Lily eyed James skeptically, not at all fooled.  
"Oh stop pretending to be noble," she told him as she began serving herself some breakfast.

Mary laughed, "Well I have no qualms. I hope you thrash them."

"Oh, we will," Sirius assured her. "Ladies, fear not. Your Gryffindor heroes will be in best form today."

"At least you _ought_ to be, after all that conditioning..," James added rather sharply.

With a giggle, Lily swooned sideways against James shoulder and pretended to fan herself as she cried, "Oh! Be still my heart. Hail the soon-to-be-conquering heroes!"

He grinned down at her, praying fervently that she wouldn't hear the painfully loud thumping of his heart that contact with her alluringly soft body was causing.  
"Someone! Fetch the smelling salts!"

"See that you do," Marlene told Sirius, laughing at her friend's antics.

With a decidedly confused expression on his face, Peter offered James a salt shaker, but Lily sat up and slid the shaker back in the blond boy's direction.  
"Nevermind, Peter."

"Now, Red," said Sirius, leaning forward to look at her. "Say James _does_ pull off this massive victory with a hundred-fifty point margin. You'll be there to honor the hero with a kiss, wont you?"

In response, Lily flushed beet red and found that she was suddenly unable to look James or Sirius in the eye. From his seat beside Peter, Remus groaned internally, and was about to come to her rescue when Lily recovered herself.  
"Kiss him yourself, Black, if you're so enamored of his Quidditch talents," she said, tilting her chin haughtily and willing herself not to blush any darker.

Sirius laughed, "Ah! You've found me out!" Leaning towards to his best mate, he clasped his hands together and implored, "My big, strong Jamesie-wamesie! Hold me in your Quaffle-chucking arms!"

As the rest of the group burst into laughter, James shoved Sirius' shoulder, "Sod off, you shirt-lifter."

Sirius joined in the laughter and resumed inhaling his breakfast. Grinning and shaking his head, James turned to say something to Lily only to see Leslie Olcott walking towards them with… was that his _face_ on the giant button she was wearing? His expression faltered and flickered between a grin and a grimace. He wasn't exactly sure he wanted Lily to witness this interaction.

For her part, Lily didn't really want to witness it either. As she caught sight of Leslie's approach, she frowned almost imperceptibly and muttered to Marlene, "Speaking of swooning fans..."

Marlene had no time to reply, for Leslie was striding down the aisle towards them, her chest out to emphasize the button she wore. She stopped just beside James and fluttered her lashes as she cooed at him, "Good luck out there today, Mr. Quidditch Captain." As she spoke, the button on her chest flashed from James' face to "Potter Power."

From their seat across the table, Sirius, Remus and Peter were pretending to be busy with their breakfasts and trying very hard not to burst into laughter. Lily, too, had suddenly become very interested in her food. Marlene and Mary were the only ones not pretending to be eating with such gusto. Marlene was studying Lily's reaction, and Mary was watching the exchange between the Quidditch Captain and his loyal fan. Now that the two Head students had become friends, both girls were more hopeful than ever that Lily and James would finally become a couple.

James blinked and hesitated for the briefest of moments before smiling easily. "Thanks, Leslie," he said. "I...er..." he fumbled a moment. "You're supporting Gryffindor?"

Leslie struck a pose with her hand on her hip and answered brightly, "But of course! I told you I would be. Can't root against Hogwarts' finest player, now can I?"

"Er.. well _thanks_, Leslie. I'll do my best to deliver a sound thrashing to your house," he said, forcing a smile to his lips and glancing uneasily down at her badge again. Where on earth she had found that particular photograph of him?

"I'm sure you will," the Hufflepuff simpered.

Poor James could think of nothing to say besides, "Er.. yeah." Although he was trying his best to keep his eyes at an appropriate level, his baser nature wanted to take advantage of the fact that, with him seated, Leslie's ample breasts were right at eye-level. From her seat beside him, Lily had noticed this too. She had also discovered that she wasn't happy about the current direction of his gaze. With the other girl's conversation in the loo still fresh in her mind, Lily very much wanted Leslie to buzz off. She was trying to decide whether or not to say anything when Sirius, who could evidently hold it in no longer, spoke up.

"Nice button, Olcott," he said, a smirk of barely concealed mocking twisting his lips. His comment caused Remus to look up and, seeing the image of his friend's winking face flashing at him from Leslie's chest, he promptly choked on his pumpkin juice.

Hearing Sirius address her, Leslie reluctantly withdrew her attention from her romantic target and smiled at the other boy.  
"Oh this thing? I got it from some second year Gryffindor in the library yesterday," she said, taking advantage of her opportunity to draw further attention to herself by stroking a fingertip idly around the outer edge of the button. As she'd planned, the males' eyes strayed naturally a few degrees southward of her face.  
"Don't worry, Sirius," she told him, winking, "I'm pretty sure there are some with your name on them too."

"Well that's.. that's _something_ at least," said James, and he valiantly forced his attention to return to the breakfast in front of him.

Before the situation could become any more awkward, Remus came to rescue by asking, "Isn't it about time for you lot to head down to the Pitch, Prongs? I'm sure your team won't like it if you have to cut short one of your famous 'beat the piss out of them or else' speeches."

With lightening speed, James glanced at his watch and exclaimed, "Bollocks!" He turned his head and called down the table, "Team! Let's move it."

Lily quirked an eyebrow at him and teased, "Really? 'Beat the piss out of them?' That's the best you've got?"

As he stood, James grinned down at Lily, "Well I'd give a formal dissertation on the positive effects of an easy victory, but I've found that some good, old-fashioned crudeness goes a long way."

Shoving one last forkful of eggs into his mouth, Sirius rose as well and made a mock bow in Leslie's direction.  
"Well I, for one, am fully prepared to give your house, madame, the greatest beating of their lives," he said, grinning with pleasure at his own pun.

"Oh Sirius! You're hilarious," Leslie tittered uneasily. By now, James was supposed to be plying her with effusive compliments or soliciting her companionship for the next Hogsmeade trip. Faced with the failure of her little plan, she was unsure what to do next.

Ignoring the blonde behind her, Lily turned to James and made an exaggerated shooing motion, "Run along then. Go wow them with your 'Potter Power'."

"Cheers, Lils," he grinned, then called down the table again, "Team! To the locker room!"

Lily was taken a back for the briefest of moments by the new nickname she had just received, but she recovered quickly, smiling and waving after James, Sirius and the rest of the team, "Bye!"

The only other person to have noticed James' last comment was Leslie, and she was none too happy about this development. It was with a bit of desperation then, that she called after him, "Bye, Jamesie!"

Her goodbye was loud enough for half the hall to hear, and James grimaced to Sirius, but he forced himself to politely turn back, fake a smile and wave at her.

Trying his best to smother his chuckle, Sirius muttered to James as they exited the Great Hall together, "Wow. You sure can pick 'em, Prongs."

James sighed. His hatred for silly nicknames was well-known among his circle of friends. Even his mum never called him "popkin," "Jamesie," or any variation thereof. Leslie was trying, however; he had to give her credit for that much. Blokes often complained about girls not being forward enough with their emotions. Where Leslie was concerned, this clearly was not the issue. Rather, it was getting her to rein in her enthusiasm that would prove to be problematic.

"I mean," he said over Sirius' snickers, about to defend the rather busty blonde, but found he had nothing to say. "Damn."

Sirius seemed to find this extremely funny, and dissolved fully into laughter. He clapped James on the shoulder, and shoved open the heavy door to the Great Hall.  
"Don't sweat it, mate," he said as the brightly overcast sky greeted them. "What do women matter when there are Hufflepuffs to trounce?"

James couldn't help but be bolstered by this thought. While he might fall desperately and frustratingly short where womenfolk were concerned, Quidditch was something he was able to do, and do well. The first match of the season was always an auspicious event. According to his personal players' philosophy, the first match was crucial in setting the standard to be followed throughout the entirety of the season. They had to present a strong front from the get-go, so that the other teams would know Gryffindor as a force with which to be reckoned.

And Merlin, but this was a perfect day for it. A light breeze stirred James' longish and perpetually untidy black hair, but the overcast clouds seemed to have trapped heat from the warm days that had preceded the weekend. As James, Sirius, and the rest of the Gryffindor House Team trooped down to the locker rooms and Pitch, there was an electric sense of excitement that crackled above their heads. James fell silent as they began dressing out for the match. As boisterous as he might be during school hours, there was a different business to be conducted on a broomstick. Even Sirius, who was often unruly at practices and keen on getting a laugh, knew that the half-hour before Quidditch matches was a hallowed time. The lot of them gathered, gear in place, on the benches of the locker room for the first time of their last year together.

James sat still, facing his team, eyes bright and mouth closed. A hint of a smile flickered across his face.

"Well," he said after a long silence. "Welcome to the Quidditch season. This year is going to be big. Real big. This is my third year as your Captain, and I intend to maintain the same grade of excellence we've shown in the past. Though this is Hufflepuff-" he paused and looked tellingly at Sirius- "that's no reason to play any less well than you've been showing at training sessions. I've got high hopes for this match, and I think we've got the thing, as long as everyone keeps up the pace. Remember our formations, Chasers. O'Donnell, you've got this, as long as you make sure you don't drift between the goal hoops. Brumley-" he looked at the team's Seeker "-use this overcast to your advantage. And Beaters… well, you two just do your thing." A chuckle rolled through the locker room. James smiled. "But, really, you lot, lets please be focused. Hufflepuff isn't anything to laugh at. My first year, they completely flattened Gryffindor. The same could happen to us if we aren't careful. And goodness knows we'll all feel it if we lose. So get your arses out there and play like you mean it!"

The team trooped out onto the Quidditch Pitch, and James Potter's spirits rose with the sound of the roaring crowd. A wide grin spread across his face as he looked up into the crowd bedecked with red and gold. The opposing side, though with a smaller number of supporters, made a good showing of yellow and black. The team captains met in the middle, regulated by the referee and flying teacher, ex-League referee Hugh Swann. Swann squared his extremely broad shoulders, looking between James and the sandy-haired Hufflepuff captain as the two boys shook hands.

"Clean match, lads," Swann said, crossing his arms and scowling. "Play nice- or else."

With a broad grin, James headed back toward his team, broom in hand and determination in the set of his shoulders.

At the referee's whistle, James kicked off the ground and soared upward to snatch the Quaffle out of the air. With one hand on his broomstick and the other clasping the Quaffle tightly to his side, he bolted toward the Hufflepuff goal hoops while his other two Chasers, Mariel Bennett and Roger Plumley, flanked him in formation. One of Hufflepuff's chasers flew straight toward him. James ducked, dipping below the oncoming flier and swerved to the left-hand side of the Pitch. With a practiced arm, he chucked the Quaffle to Mariel, who caught it and immediately went in for a shot at the goal hoops. Dodging a bludger shot toward her by the Hufflepuff beater, Ammons, Mariel threw the Quaffle hard toward the center goal hoop. The Keeper lunged for it, barely brushing the Quaffle with the tips of his fingers. The bright red ball went through the hoop, and Gryffindor had their first goal. As a roar went up from the crowd, James chanced a look around for his friends. Someone's bright red hair caught his eye, right in the front row of the Gryffindor stands. A grin spread across his face, and he felt a new boost of adrenalin.

"Gryffindor scores!" cried the commentator, some fifth-year Ravenclaw boy James' couldn't place. "And that's Mariel Bennett with the first goal of the match. The score stands at Gryffindor, ten, and Hufflepuff, nil. And now it's Macready with the Quaffle..."

He whipped around and headed back toward the Gryffindor goalposts, the determination to play well reaffirmed. He caught sight of Sirius streaking past him, beater's club raised as he swung hard at a bludger that had been coursing toward Brumley. James pulled up, flipped around, and got ready for the affront against Hufflepuff.

The Hufflepuff chasers flew toward the Gryffindor goalposts. James watched, then decided to fly straight at the foremost chaser. A bludger streaked right in front of his broomstick, and he twisted away to avoid getting his broom handle smashed. The Hufflepuff chaser slipped past him, and he wheeled around to follow. He needn't have bothered, however, as Roger stripped the Quaffle from the Hufflepuff and threw it, hard, toward James. James caught it and began his solo attack on the Hufflepuff goals. The other Hufflepuff chasers were nowhere to be found. From his peripheral vision, he could see Brumley diving toward the ground. The match couldn't be over, could it? James tore hsi eyes away and flew forward, feinting toward the right in hopes of drawing the Keeper over to the far goalpost. It worked. The other two goals were left wide open. James took aim and threw hard, knowing before he heard the cheer from the stands that he had scored.

"And that's another ten for Gryffindor! A strong start and good showing from Gryffindor Captain, James Potter."

Within fifteen minutes, Gryffindor had managed to score six more times. Hufflepuff managed to scrape two goals, as well. One, the result of a penalty after Mariel got called for cobbing. The chaser that took the penalty threw the Quaffle so hard, James could scarcely see it as it passed from her hand through the goalpost. The second occurred when a lob from Roger to James was intercepted by the same chaser that had scored the penalty. James had never seen such a quick arm on a girl. He had no time to consider her arm, however, as his team's lead was not yet enough to ensure a victory, in case their seeker managed to catch the snitch.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Marlene, Mary, and Lily stood in the front row and cheered on their team as best they could. While she didn't know much about the sport, Lily had to admit there was something electric about watching the players fly around so swiftly on broomsticks. She had never been the best of fliers back in first year, when the entire incoming class had to learn. But she did like it. Her loyalty to Severus had always biased her against watching James work his particular best brand of magic. But things had changed. She was beginning to see that while James' arrogance in prior years was a bit excessive, it was not entirely unfounded. The boy had a gift, she had to admit. And he seldom failed to deliver a victory to Gryffindor House.

Despite Hufflepuff's best efforts and several well-aimed bludgers, Gryffindor pulled ahead by another eight goals. James was leading scoring by seven goals of his team's fourteen. The breeze strengthened into a full wind, and the sky darkened as the temperature dropped. James' hands were growing red and numb, despite the uniform all players sported. They needed to end the game, and soon, before Hufflepuff could catch the snitch.

No sooner had he thought it, he spotted Brumley in a dive. The snitch was flitting right in front of the Gryffindor stands. To distract the other players, James waved for the Quaffle. Mariel passed it, and James caught it, shooting as fast as he could toward the Hufflepuff goalposts. Dodging two bludgers and a Hufflepuff chaser deternined to knock him off-course, he chucked the Quaffle as hard as he could manage. The bright red ball soared through the Keeper's arms and into the goal. He had scarcely time to hear the cheers from his own goal when an extremely loud, many-voiced yell signaled to him a victory. A broad grin spread across his face and he shot toward Brumley, whose hand was raised in triumph, fingers gripping the snitch tightly as he whooped. The team sank to the ground as one, basking in the roar emanating from those in the stands. They had won! The first match of the term and Gryffindor had sealed a solid win.

The team showered and changed into their normal clothes, chattering brightly. James, even, had little to say in the way of criticism, other than some loose flying that needed to be corrected. Nevertheless, he gathered the team in the lockers to give them a brief talk before they met the rest of the student body.

"Great job," he said, once they had settled down. "You played like Gryffindors. But we mustn't let anything out there today get to our heads. This was only Hufflepuff. We've got Slytherin next, and the Ravenclaw team is rumored to be really, really good this year. So, again, you've done well. Party is tonight in the common room- don't overindulge, cos we will have training tomorrow!"

His words were met with a groan, but James was undeterred. "Now, get out of here," he said cheerily. "And I'll see you tonight!"

They were greeted outside the lockers by a group of students waiting to congratulate the victorious team. Leslie Olcott was at the forefront of the group, and beamed beatifically at James as he stepped outside. A stiff, cold wind fanned her straight blonde hair around her face as she hurried forward.

"Fantastic job, James!" she gushed. "I can't believe how well you play. Is it true you might get into the League? Oh, that would be so wonderful." James thanked her, grinned and walked alongside Leslie, shaking a few hands of people who wanted to congratulate him on the victory. He searched the gathering of students for one in particular, and felt the familiar buoyancy in his chest as he saw, at the back of the group, the bright red hair and glorious smile of Lily Evans. She waved at him, showing him the thumbs-up sign, and then turned to head up to the castle. He wanted so badly to chase after her and catch her up in his arms. But Leslie looped her arm through his and clung tightly to him. 

"Ooh, James, I'm cold!" she said, huddling to him. James caught Sirius' gaze above Leslie's head and rolled his eyes. Sirius made a gagging motion, and the lot of them trooped up toward the castle, heads bent against the cold wind.

That night, the party in the Gryffindor common room was rambunctious, to say the least. Cases of butterbeer, which seemed to appear out of nowhere, were passed around. Spirits were high and James Potter was in the thick of it, as the conquering hero who had brought such a sound defeat to Hufflepuff House. Music was blasting, and a large Gryffindor banner was draped above the hearth. The few students who had not been at the match were now having it dramatically recounted for them, and all were in exceedingly good moods. This was certainly a good sign for the team's prospects. As the initial excitement began to ebb, James felt himself drawn toward the area where Lily and her girl friends were perched, sipping butterbeer and chatting gaily. He flopped down on the couch next to her, grinning all the while.

"Hey, you lot," he said to the three girls. "Thanks for supporting Gryffindor today- I could see you three easily from the air. That's a nice jumper, McKinnon," he added, and Marlene giggled a 'thanks'.

"You did really well!" Lily said, smiling broadly at James. Her green eyes sparkled, and James found himself in very serious danger of kissing the girl.

"Oh, yeah?" he said, bolstered. "Thanks for coming. I didn't think you were much of a Quidditch fan." 

Lily shook her head. "I might not know much about it, but I definitely know that I like watching." She felt herself growing energized, glowing for some reason she couldn't precisely pin. While the beat of the music pulsed on around them, it felt to James as if the two of them were the only people in the room. Of course, his willful delusion was ridiculous. He was dragged away from the object of his affection by Sirius, who was pestering James to find out the location of his secret-stash of Firewhisky. James was quite sure Lily would not approve of alcohol at the party, and was able to convince Sirius that drunk, underage Hogwarts students were not ones they would want to deal with cleaning up after. Besides, the boys were perfectly capable of having their own celebration upstairs in the dormitories after everyone had gone to bed. Sirius was quick to agree, and the party began to wind down of its own accord, though not until after Professor McGonagall appeared to usher the remaining stragglers off to bed.

It was, indeed, a very good night.


	10. The Best Laid Plans

The glow of Gryffindor's solid victory stretched on for days. After such an exuberant week, the next Saturday brought with it a new form of excitement. Overnight, the first snow of the year had fallen, surrounding the castle with a sea of pure white snow drifts that promised the students a weekend full of sledding, snowmen and snowball fights. Last night, Lily and James had noticed the first snowflakes falling outside the window of the library, where they were hard at work on a Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. As seventh years, they both knew that the younger students would all be outside by lunch time. If they wanted to enjoy the pristine blankets of snow on the hills around the castle, they would have to get outside early to do it, so they made plans to venture out of doors just after breakfast.

Accordingly, both Head students arose just as early as they had the Saturday before, showered, dressed and met down in the common room long before any of their fellow Gryffindors were awake. This was a bit of a wrench for James, who could never be mistaken for a morning person, but as he watched Lily descend the stairs from the girls' dormitory, looking eagerly excited and (in his humble opinion) like a thousand galleons, he decided it was worth it. After all, the earlier their day began, the more time he would have to spend with her. He grinned at her as they walked towards the portrait hole together.  
"You're looking awfully chipper this morning."

And she was. Although, to be fair to James, Lily was more used to early rising than he was, and she was even more excited than him about the prospect of a morning spent romping through unspoiled snow drifts. Having spent her childhood in the city, she found the sight of field upon field of clean, white snow to be both beautiful and irresistible.  
"Thanks, I think?" she said, laughter in her eyes as she looked up at him. "I'm surprised you managed to get yourself up early two Saturdays in a row."

"Yes, well. Now you know I can wake myself up at anytime if I have sufficient reason to," he responded, pausing beside the portrait hole to let her pass through first.

After a hearty breakfast, they made a brief detour back to Gryffindor Tower to sheathe themselves in winter cloaks, hats, scarves and gloves. Once they were properly attired for the wintery haven outside, they set off for the Great Hall. Soon the pair were walking out the front doors of the castle on the path to Hagrid's cabin. They had not progressed very far from the front door when the snow on the pathway became deeper. Twenty seconds later, it was necessary for James to magically dig a path with his wand as they blazed a trail through the freshly fallen snow. It was impossible to see the path anymore, but Lily didn't care. Her cheeks were reddened from the cold, her eyes were sparkling a bright and cheery green and her smile was merry as she gazed around at the winter wonderland through which they were walking.  
"It's like a faerieland," she said softly, "I'm so glad we came out early, before everyone else has made paths through all the lovely snowdrifts."

The frozen enviornment had never really struck James as a faerieland, per se, but he could see what she meant by the expression. He cleared a particularly stacked drift with his wand and glanced down at her, one eyebrow raised slightly.  
"I'm glad we did, too," he said, smiling genuinely. Getting up early had been a bit of a wrench, as he had stayed up so late during the week working on homework, but now that he was outside in the winter sunshine, he realized that Lily had a point. There was something so wholesome and crisp about untouched snow. And something equally thrilling about mucking it up.

Thanks to James' handy snow-clearing charm, they made their way down to Hagrid's with relatively little difficulty. Once they reached the octagonal stone cabin, James stepped up to knock on the door while Lily waited behind him. There were grumbling noises inside and a brief moment later, Hagrid appeared, looking a bit disheveled.

"What's wrong with yer?" he asked after recognising James and Lily. "It can't be earlier than ten o'clock." Hagrid, clearly, had wanted a few more hours to himself before he was required to greet the world, but he was never one to refuse company, especially that of students of which he was fond. And so, he opened the door wider to allow them inside, muttering, "C'm'in, c'm'in. Can't have yer freezin' out there. Take a seat, both of yeh, and I'll put the kettle on."

As she and James stepped inside the cabin and took seats around the kitchen table, Lily felt a tiny twinge of guilt. When they had agreed last night that they would make a visit to Hagrid part of their morning's explorations, neither Lily nor James had considered that the gamekeeper might not be so keen as they to wake up early on a Saturday morning. But Hagrid did not appear to be that angry, just surprised, and so she relaxed.

A short while later, the tea kettle began to sing, and Hagrid set two steaming mugs of tea on the table, along with a platter of his own treacle tarts.  
"There we are," he said, taking a seat in his larger chair by the fire. "So, what brings the two of yeh down here? T'see me, yeah, but on a Saturday morning?" Hagrid shook his head, chuckling as he added a liberal splash of some amber-colored liquid from a large ceramic jug into his bucket-sized mug of tea.

James grinned.  
"Wanted to make sure you didn't freeze to death last night, for one," he said facetiously. "And two, we neither of us have been down here to see you in ages. We wanted a chance to pop in before exams start and everything goes to hell."

"And we wanted a chance to get to the snow before everyone else did," Lily added, wrapping her hands gratefully around her mug. Despite the gloves she wore, the walk down from the castle had chilled them.

Hagrid nodded, apparently satisfied with this explanation. He set his mug down on the creaking coffee table after a few minutes and his expression grew vastly more serious.  
"Got summat ter ask you," he said gravely. "We go back a long way, don't we? I mean, I remember dragging you-" he looked pointedly at James "-out of the Forbidden Forest before you'd been at Hogwarts even a fortnight. So why-" he turned his attention to Lily "-havn't you told me yet the two of yer had gotten together?"

Lily nearly spit out the swig of tea in her mouth. Together? She and James? Her eyes immediately slid sideways to his, and Lily noted that he looked just as embarassed as she was. What on earth had given Hagrid that impression? For just a moment, her brain froze as two different sensations registered. The first, and stronger, one was embarrassment and denial. Of course they weren't dating! Just because they spent time together didn't mean they were. The second sensation was very brief and almost unnoticeable; Lily certainly didn't give any further thought to it. But, nonetheless, as Hagrid voiced his question, some small part of her had been.. excited? But that was preposterous! She didn't want to date James. They were just friends. Still, she could see how Hagrid would think that, since they had arrived together, early in the morning, to visit him, something they hadn't ever done before.

Laughing nervously, she answered, "Oh no. We aren't, er, dating or anything like that. Just friends." Glancing over at James, she continued, "Who knew we would end up getting along, right? No we just wanted to get out early and have fun in the snow while there was still enough for snowballs and snowmen.."

She trailed off, realizing that it _did_ sound like they were dating, and glanced at James again, hoping for his backup. Surely he hadn't said anything previously to Hagrid - or anyone else - to give the impression that they were together. He wouldn't do that, right? Because of course she wasn't interested in him like that. Sure, he was nice enough and fun to be around; he was certainly attractive enough but- No. They were just friends. Still, despite the certainly she apparently felt on the matter, Lily looked pretty flustered, and there was a very obvious blush on her cheeks.

James' neck suddenly felt very hot, and he was grateful for the scarf he still had hanging around him. He and Lily? Together? Though everyone and their Mum knew that this was James' most fervent wish, they certainly were not. And yet, their burgeoning friendship in the past couple of months had encouraged a suspicion that James had. Perhaps she was finally seeing sense- that he wasn't an awful, arrogant toerag all of the time. They had good conversations, and he was quite sure she had flirted with him on purpose more than once. Plus, it had been Lily last night who had suggested they spend this morning together playing in the snow. Yes, perhaps today was finally the day. He was planning on asking her out again later in the afternoon. Hagrid had unintentionally provided the perfect litmus test, and, although she had denied the gamekeeper's suspicion, she hadn't been disgusted by it either. In fact, she looked very much like she was blushing.

Feeling a delicious bubble of hope welling within him, James spoke up, willing himself not to read too much into the endearing flush on her cheeks.  
"Aw, Hagrid, you know we would have told you straight-off," he explained. "You know how the third-years are, practicing heating charms and color-changing spells on the snow. We just wanted a chance to have at the day." Of course, James had entirely alternate motives for the time they spent together, but he wasn't about to admit this to either of his companions.

Although both she and James had denied the existence of a relationship, Lily had the distinct impression that the gamekeeper did not believe them. Hagrid was not a very subtle man, and he kept glancing between the two of them, which coloured the rest of their time at Hagrid's to be a little bit awkward. But, since he didn't question them further, the mood lightened, and half an hour later, Hagrid sent them off with his usual wave and smile. James and Lily tried to distract themselves with the landscape, and after a while, they were back to their usual comfortable selves. Really, it was hard not to feel at ease in James' presence. His conversation was lively and interesting, and he was adept at making her laugh. She was growing more and more intrigued to learn what went on in his head and what his opinions were on various contemporary matters. For all his outward appearance of boyish mischief, Lily was fast learning that James had a very good head on his shoulders and an equally good moral compass. Both were points she admired about him. In fact, the list of qualities she admired about him seemed to have grown quite long of late, not that Lily had yet realized this fact herself.

They walked around the frozen lake, stopping down by the shore to muse as to where the giant squid went during the solid winter freezes. Eventually, their amiable conversation faded into a long and smooth silence, and they continued on their way until they were nearly out of sight of the castle. The air was warming up, though almost imperceptibly. Their ambling footsteps continued until they reached a spot just out of sight of the castle that was unlikely to be disturbed again by younger students. James apparently had the same thought as she did, because he turned and asked, "Hey, Lily? Want to get started on that snowman?"

"Yeah, let's," she answered, pulling her wand out of her pocket. "This looks like the perfect spot, but first-" She tapped each of his mittened hands in turn and then each of her own, casting an Impervious charm on all four. "No sense getting our hands frozen and wet if we can prevent it," she said, pocketing her wand again. Then, flashing him a bright grin, she turned around and bent over, beginning to form a ball of snow that would become the base of their snowman.

Over the course of the next hour, James and Lily managed to fashion an entire little family of snow-people, consisting of a man and woman, a little roly-poly baby snowman, and what Lily insisted to be the family cat. He could only laugh as the pair of them packed and rolled the snow into the desired shapes. He enjoyed being around her so very much. Not only was he immensely attracted to her- after all, who wouldn't be?- but she had a very winsome personality and a deep-seated kindness that dictated her every move and action. James was quite convinced Lily was the best person he knew.

As she put the finishing touches on their snow-family, James scooped up a clump of snow. With the unerring skill of a seasoned Chaser, he lobbed the snowball at Lily's back, hitting without unnecessary force. As she whirled around, he immediately put on his most innocent expression. He was, of course, fooling no one, and almost immediately dropped behind the boulder to scoop up more snow. If she deigned to join him in this snowball fight, he would be prepared. Hagrid was right, it _did_ appear as if they were dating. He couldn't help himself; he was over the moon at the prospect that if he was on his best behaviour, Lily might finally be persuaded to give him a chance. And while chucking snowballs at each other might not seem like the most positive choice when attempting to catch an unattainable girl, the facetious fight was as good a method of flirting as he had ever seen.

The snowball, as James had intended, caught Lily entirely by surprise. She had just decided to try coloring the snow with a charm when she felt something small, wet and cold hit her in the middle of her back. Whirling around, she regarded James with narrowed, suspicious eyes. He, in turn, smiled back at her, the very picture of innocence, but Lily wasn't fooled.  
"So that's the way it is?" she said, scooping up a handful of snow, "I'm warning you, Potter. I don't lose easily." So saying, she lobbed the snowball as hard as she could in his direction, but James had already ducked behind his boulder.

Undeterred, she dashed behind the boulder nearest to James' chosen stronghold and began stockpiling snowballs for the upcoming battle. Lily was aware that, in man to woman combat, she was a bit disadvantaged by her extreme lack of height and lesser arm strength, but she wasn't worried. The redhead was not above a bit of trickery if necessary, and after several rounds of throwing snowballs and missing him, it appeared that subterfuge was exactly what she needed. So, when James lobbed his next snowball, she made sure to let it hit her in the face and, a heartbeat later, she clapped her hands over her eye and sank to her knees, moaning, "Ow! _Ow!_ That was my eye, you prat!"

Just as she'd expected he would, James hurried over to make sure that she wasn't too badly hurt. Lily waited until he was bending right over her, then she grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it up into his face. Instantly, she was on her feet, dancing out of his reach and laughing gaily, "Haha! I got you! I got you!"

He let out a surprised "Hey!" and swiped his sleeve across his cheek to clear the snow away. Immediately, he was laughing at her cleverness and the fact that he, for once, had fallen for someone else's joke. She was definitely flirting with him now. This playing back-and-forth could be interpreted as nothing else! But he wouldn't rush into things faster than he could help it. He had learned in several long years of pursuing her, that she wasn't one to be caught off-guard or duped into dating him.

He watched as she leaped away from him, those maddening green eyes alight with mirth and excitement, and grinned, running a hand through his now-snowy hair in an attempt to shake the quickly melting ice crystals from it. She was close enough that it wouldn't be very fair sport to chuck more snow at her. He tried to catch hold of her arm, but she was prepared and dodged out of the way. With his eyes narrowed slightly, James launched himself at Lily and tackled her to the snowy ground. He looked down at her, both their breath coming out in little puffs that mingled together in the chilly morning air.  
"That," he said, "was not very nice." The corners of his eyes crinkled in a smile. "And now," he continued, "it appears that I've got _you_."

Lily, who had taken his laughter to mean that she had won the snowball fight, was unprepared for being tackled to the ground. She landed on the snowdrift with a soft "oof!" and promptly froze in place. She was very conscious of the cold, soft snow beneath her back and James' warm, firm body atop her, pressing her into it. Part of her knew this was a very compromising and dangerous situation to be in. Particularly with James. She should push him off, hex him or demand that he move, but there was a small part of her that didn't want to. Whatever this bit of her consciousness was, Lily didn't know. She only knew that it recognized that James Potter was a very attractive young man, that it felt very good to be pinned beneath him like this. She wondered if he was going to kiss her, and, for a moment, Lily was certain that he was and she made no move to stop it. With the next moment, however, came a wave of fear that broke whatever spell she had previously been under. She didn't know where this fear came from or why she was so afraid of the possibility of having feelings like that for the Head Boy, but the impulse was so strong that Lily couldn't help but act on it.

James was electrified. He was prepared for all the possible reactions he could think of, from her drawing her wand and hexing him (sure to be entirely unpleasant) to the boyish fantasy which involved her flinging her arms around his neck and snogging him. The act had been rash, but James was now presented with the opportunity to examine her lovely features close-up. It was enough strip him bare of the charming turn-of-phrase and charisma he usually exuded, but he didn't feel exposed or vulnerable. Rather, as he studied her green eyes, he was struck by the comfort and security he felt. The question bubbled to his lips, and he glanced down at her mouth, almost unbelievably tempted to close the gap between them and kiss her. Instead of asking her out or snogging her, and before she had the chance to get him with a good Stinging Hex, James pushed himself off of her, allowing her to sit up next to him.

Chivalry and respect had a high cost, he mused, as a half dozen scenarios of what-might-have-happened ran through his head. If only he had been a bit more brash, a little more reckless...

Lily sat up quickly, keeping her eyes fixed on the snowy ground as she struggled to re-gather her dignity. Quickly, she brushed the snow from her hair and, once she was certain that she was not blushing, she looked over at James and tossed her head haughtily, saying, "And _that_ wasn't very fair. You have... an unfair advantage. Seeing as you're a giant and all." With this parting shot, she scrambled to her feet and dashed away behind her boulder to continue stockpiling her ammunition. But, hard as she tried to pretend that nothing had happened and focus on molding snowballs, Lily couldn't quite banish the memory of how his body had felt on top of hers.

Though he was seldom one to quit first or concede a victory to anyone at all, their little roll in the snow had chilled him. Snow clung to him and dripped icily down his back. He realized he could really go for a butterbeer just then, and happened to know of a few house-elves that would be more than happy to provide them. And so, jamming his hands into his pockets and heading toward Lily with a broad grin on his face, he leaned against a boulder.  
"I am not a giant," he said, drawing himself up to his full height. In fact, he did sort of tower over her. His eyes twinkled. "You, however, are vertically challenged." He was feeling very daring, having not had his balls hexed off when he tackled her. He stepped closer to her, wondering if he might be able to get that wide-eyed look back on Lily's face. Did it have something to do with his proximity? He believed so. Why else would she avoid eye contact? He felt the spark between the pair of them, and her reluctance to face him only led him to believe she had felt it, too.

He looked down at her from his considerable height, lips quirking in a lopsided smirk. He noted the snowballs she was packing and cocked his head to the side. Despite the Impervious Charms they had cast on their clothing, frozen slush had found its way into his shoes and inside his jeans.

Vertically challenged? She most certainly was not! He wasn't that much taller than her. Eager to prove this point, Lily stood up at the same time that James stepped forward, so the end effect was that they were, once again, too close for Lily's comfort. Her pulse skipped a beat and her eyes widened again as she looked up at him. And she certainly did have to look up. He was a full head taller than her; she imagined that, if they were standing closer, he would be able to rest his chin quite comfortably on top of her head. Wait, no! She did not want to be imagining that. She certainly did not want him to ever hold her that close! This was... ridiculous! Desperate to somehow diffuse the unnamed tension that she felt rising between them, Lily took a step back and retorted, "I'm _not _vertically challenged. You're only saying that because you're sore you're about to lose a snowball fight." Why was her heart racing like that? There was no reason to be feeling like this! Her eyes narrowed the slightest bit in a frown.

Something about the way she seemed to be retreating clued James in to the fact that perhaps Lily was just as uncomfortable in the snow as he was.

"D'you want to head in for a butterbeer?" he asked, absently fingering a patched space on the elbow of his favorite coat. He wasn't about to check his watch, for fear of giving off the impression that he wanted their time together to end any time soon. He was going to draw out this day as much as possible. But something in her air had changed from before their snowball fight. Before, she had been laughing and chatting with him. Now, however, she was deliberately avoiding contact. Had he said something wrong?

He couldn't deny that his thoughts kept going back to the feel of her body under his. He was always quick to assure anyone who asked that his fancy for Lily surpassed simple superficial or physical attraction, he was not about to deny that the girl was, for lack of a better word, simply gorgeous. He wanted to spend more and more time with her; somehow ease his way into her heart without her noticing until it was too late. She had resisted all his other methods of winning anyone over- he was beginning to grow a little concerned that they would all graduate in a little more than half a year, and he would never see her again.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Lily replied, tossing the half-formed snowball in her hands back onto the ground. "Just lead the way." At the quizzical look he shot her, she explained, "I've never visited the kitchens before."

As they trudged back up the path to the castle, Lily found that, for some reason, she couldn't stomach the silence between them. Usually they could walk in companionable silence, each one wrapped up in his own thoughts, but this time she only felt that odd sort of tension again. So, desperate to fill the silence, she asked lightly, "Are your shoes filled with slush too? My socks are soaking wet."

Things were looking up. James smiled, and led Lily back toward the castle. The first few moments passed in almost palpable silence, and James was fairly sure he wasn't the only one who had noticed the change. He had started to slip into his own thoughts (mostly concerning the electric way their bodies had fit together when he'd pinned her in the snow) when Lily interrupted his reverie.

"Yeah," James noted as he realized his feet were almost painfully cold. "Guess I forgot about that bit. Are you warm enough, though?" She was a great deal smaller than him. And, by the look of her, had a very low level of body fat to keep her warm, despite the heavy coat and winter things she was wearing. Manners dictated that he give her his coat or something if she wasn't, and he would be all too willing to do so.

"I'm fine," she responded. "Especially once I get some butterbeer in me and dry out these shoes." As they re-entered the castle, the silence descended upon them again, and Lily tried her hardest to think of something to say.

His hand brushed against hers as they walked, and the spark she felt sent Lily into another spiral of confusion and fear. A few more moments passed in silence. Walking side-by-side, they bumped hands again, and James automatically apologized, though he didn't feel the slightest bit sorry. What was wrong with her? They'd been having a perfectly lovely afternoon, and now she couldn't think of a single thing to say!

The castle was still quiet, but James assumed that most were enjoying a good lie-in. The pair of them made their way toward the secret entrance to the Kitchens, and as they neared the portrait of a large bowl of fruit, James remarked; "I can't believe you've never been in here before. Best-kept secret of Hogwarts, I guess. But they'll make you any and everything you could want. Hogwarts house-elves are really helpful. They're probably the best in Britain, come to that." He reached up and tickled the pear, which giggled and the picture swung to admit them.

"After you, milady," James smiled, stepping back to let Lily go in first. He took a deep breath as she passed, thinking that if he timed things right, he just might get that elusive 'yes' today.

As she stepped through the now-open portrait hole, Lily explained, "I've never had occasion to visit. Plus, I didn't know where the entrance was." The minute they both set foot inside the huge, loud room, she was prevented from saying anything further as no less than three house elves rushed over to them and began inquiring what they could get for Sir and Miss. "Two butterbeers, please. And... Have you got any of those scones left over from breakfast?" Lily said. With a nod and a deep bow, the house elves raced off. No sooner had Lily and James taken a seat at a table over to the side of the kitchen when their requested refreshments arrived. In the relative quiet that ensued, Lily felt the threat of uncomfortable silence looming again and, desperate to push it off, she resorted to the clichéd topic of schoolwork.

"I was thinking more on our essay last night," she began, whilst uncapping her bottle and taking a long swig. "I think we might want to do a bit more research on merpeople. We hardly mentioned them, and they have a particularly interesting history, from what I remember." Lily reached for a scone from the plate between them and another thought occurred to her, so she added, "Did you know there's supposed to be merpeople in the lake? I've wished for years that I had some way to visit them and find out. Don't you think it would be fascinating? To see what it's like living under the sea?" Back on a safe topic, and one that interested her, the awkwardness she had felt was gone and her eyes were dancing again. The sea had always fascinated Lily. As a little girl, she'd adored the few times they took a family holiday to the beach, and her favorite animal had always been a dolphin. Now, when weather permitted, her favorite place to study was beneath a tree by the lake. "Maybe I could become an Animagus and turn into a dolphin at will," she mused, nibbling at her scone. "Though, I s'pose, you can't really pick your animal. Or can you? I can't remember what McGonagall told us last week."

He smiled. "Sounds great. I don't know much about the merpeople, so it would probably be best to learn." Merpeople were perhaps the only group of creatures living in the Hogwarts grounds with whom James had not been acquainted. Precious few pranks could be pulled at the bottom of the lake.

Then, the conversation turned rather unexpectedly to the subject of Animagi. James faltered briefly. He usually kept his demeanor smooth when the subject came up, as the theory behind the transformation had been the focus of their Advanced Transfiguration class. He and his friends had been illegal, Unregistered Animagi for two years running. But he regained his composure rapidly, and leaned back in his chair, sipping his butterbeer.

"Well," he said carefully, "from what I understand, your Animagus form has more to do with your spirit. Kind of like your Patronus. Have you heard of Native American spirit animals? That's what those are- the native wizards just called them other things."

She finished her scone and leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand as James explained about the concept of spirit animals.

"Hmmm, so it's like... an animal that represents you then?" Intriguing! For a minute, she was silent as she tried to decide what she thought her spirit animal would be. Hopefully not something nasty like a stoat or a ferret, but not something blasé and lame like a panda. Curiously, she glanced across the table at James and asked, "So what type of animal do you think I'd turn into? I picture you as...." But she trailed off. The question was harder than she had anticipated it would be. How did you sum up a person's character in animal form? He definitely wouldn't be a stoat _or_ a panda. Most likely something athletic. And powerful. And noble too. Maybe a lion, to go with the whole Gryffindor thing?

"Well I dunno," she finished lamely, lifting her bottle to her lips and taking another swig of butterbeer. "It's rather a hard question, now that I think about it."

He looked down at his bottle and then across the table at her. He found himself wishing that he knew what she was thinking. The atmosphere of their day together had changed so drastically in the hours of the morning. He caught himself staring, and then looked back down at the platter of scones in front of him. He took one, eating it because it was there and he needed something to do.

It wasn't that James was uncomfortable discussing Animagi. He simply knew far too much about the process, the legality and the other issues surrounding the complex magic to be able to easily discuss it with Lily. It was too easy to be honest with her, and he didn't want to accidentally let something slip and ruin the good thing the Marauders had going. Nevertheless, he would be glad when the subject changed. It had been interesting for the three of them to discover what their animal forms were. James had mastered the transformation first, with Sirius only fifteen minutes behind him. Peter was last to get it, but the boys never held that over his head, as it was really rather complex and difficult magic to perform. But the sense of wonder that had accompanied it! It was incredible. Sirius mocked James' stag form as being poncey, what with the little tail he had. But, as Peter said with a scarcely suppressed smile, James did have quite a nice rack. Sirius had rolled his eyes, but then added graciously that James' form suited, as he did have the whole 'noble' thing going for him. James was unsurprised at Sirius becoming a dog. And Peter's form was so convenient! The little rat was able to slink through the whipping branches and freeze the willow tree whenever the boys wanted to sneak out of the grounds, whether for the full moon or a trip to the Shrieking Shack.

"It's tricky sutff," James agreed. "You'd really have to know a person's soul to be able to predict what they'd be. Like with Sirius-" he said, but then caught himself. "I mean, me and Sirius tried guessing who would be what of our friends a few years ago, and we came up with a whole lot of nothing." He took another swig of butterbeer, fighting the discomfort of lying to Lily. They weren't dating (yet) or anything, and he was hopelessly tied to her. Loyal to a fault, that's what Remus often said. He smiled at her again, feeling a funny twinge in his stomach as they made eye contact.

"That's true," Lily agreed. "Heck, I don't even know my own soul well enough to guess what I'd turn out to be." She took another sip of her butterbeer and reached for the last scone on the plate.

James drained the rest of his bottle, surveying Lily with barely concealed admiration. She was smiling at him, and was so good and lovely and wonderful, that he couldnt seem to help himself. He looked up at her, meeting her lovely green eyes, and the question spilled easily from his lips. He hadn't asked her in ages, and they got on so well. Maybe she had had a change of heart. At any rate, the question was out in the open in a matter of seconds.

"Lily, would you go out with me?"

She froze. Again, the image rose in her mind of she and James sprawled atop one another in the snow drift. Her reaction then was the same one that she had now. A little part of her heart leaped at the question, but she still couldn't place why. And, again, a wave of fear gnawed at her. Why was he asking her this? Had she somehow given him the impression that she would say yes? Why did he want to go changing things when they had such a lovely friendship? Or worse, what if, after all, he'd only been friendly to her because he'd been hoping she would finally agree to date him? If Lily had been entirely rational, she would have realized that the last fear, in particular, was unfounded and that, based on this morning's fun, she would probably have a good time dating him, since they got along so well. But she was female, and therefore not entirely rational where emotions were concerned. And she was too afraid of the change she had been sensing in her own heart, of changing their relationship in general, to give James a chance.

After a few seconds that probably seemed like hours, Lily finally regained her power of speech and sputtered, "Oh... I..." She swallowed and forced herself to look up at him again. "Now James, just because we're friends now doesn't mean I'm going to agree to date you," she said, keeping her tone and smile light in hopes that she could prevent his feelings from being hurt.

And then, just like that, James was rebuffed. She was still smiling, she was still painfully lovely to behold, and she was still resolved to never have him. James' heart sank. He had been so sure of her answer, so convinced that he finally would have a way into her heart and her life. For some maddeningly embarrassing moment, he felt a hot pricking in the corners of his eyes. He blinked, the easy smile he had worn just moments ago still in place, though now it felt rather pasted on. Even on his best behavior, when the pair of them were getting along better than they ever had, when they had spent the better part of the school term laughing and talking, she wouldn't accept. It struck him then what a lost cause he was. She kept her tone light and eyes smiling- was she laughing at him? Oh, Merlin. The shame of rejection flooded through him, and his neck suddenly felt very hot.

"Okay, then," he said, nodding and searching her expression for any indication of what had gone wrong. Had he said something? Done something? Should he have offered her his cloak, insisted she take it despite her protests? Had he come on too strongly, or rather, not charismatic enough? As he studied her exceptionally fine, achingly unattainable features, he realised with a sinking feeling that it simply didn't matter. None of it mattered. _Just because... _James felt the precarious tower of cards he'd been building between the pair of them collapse. It wasn't like Exploding Snap. There was no harsh language, no invitations for him to piss off, nothing. Just a smile and a rueful glance and then nothing. He fought to keep his demeanor the same and mask the overwhelming urge to cry. He wasn't good enough for her. He needed an out. He needed to talk to Sirius, to rail about how much everything sucked and how horrible Lily was and so on... And yet, he knew he couldn't. The fault was somehow still his. He had done everything he could think of and she still didn't want him. But she had done nothing wrong except cup his heart in her lovely hands and crush it between her palms.

He glanced down at his watch.  
"Oh, damn," he said, looking back up at her. It was scarcely ten fifteen. "I've just remembered, I've got Quidditch training in fifteen minutes. Thanks for..." he gestured wordlessly around, standing up and pushing his chair in. "I'll see you around, I suppose. Have a good day." It was a lie, of course. There was no Quidditch training. But he needed to run, and fast before he broke. Without a backward glance, James shoved his hands deep in his pockets and left the kitchen, in search of some sort of comfort to distract him from the searing pain lingering with her most gentle, and yet most devastating rejection.

Though his expression didn't change, and his words didn't falter, Lily sensed that something had gone horribly wrong. His eyes searched hers for a moment, and Lily fought to keep her expression cheerful and pleasant. But James was on his feet and on his way to the door almost before she realized it, muttering something about Quidditch practice. Bewildered, hopelessly confused, and terribly afraid that somehow everything between them was now ruined, Lily turned around in her chair and craned her head after him, but he didn't look back. Two seconds later, he was gone, leaving her alone with her muddled, racing thoughts.

Sighing heavily, she turned back around and sank against the back of her chair. As she glanced across the table at the spot where James had been seated just moments before, Lily wondered what had happened to their lovely morning. It had started out so beautifully. The whole _term_ had been going swimmingly. And now... she was so afraid that she had ruined it forever. James might not have said anything or done anything to indicate his reaction, but she had seen the hurt in his eyes. It had been like watching a brightly glowing candle extinguished with just the breath of her words, of her rejection. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, and yet she had. She was even afraid she had angered him. What if he thought she had been leading him on all this time? Hagrid had certainly seemed to think- so what if James had been thinking the same thing? But really, what was she supposed to have done? Refuse to be friendly with him just because she didn't want to date him? Why couldn't they just remain friends? What was so wrong with that? There were plenty of other girls at Hogwarts who would kill for a date with Gryffindor's long-standing Quidditch star. Lily just did not happen to be one of them.

She stared at the wooden table in moody silence for a few moments before rising to her feet and slowly making her way out of the kitchen. There was nothing to be done about it now. She'd given her answer, and any regret she felt was only for the fact that she'd had to hurt him. _Obviously_, she didn't wish she'd given the other answer. But now that her morning snow-fest had been cut short, she would have to find something else to do, so Lily made her way up to Gryffindor Tower to seek out Marlene and Mary and find something to take her mind off the growing, unpleasant feeling in the back of her mind that she had somehow mucked up everything horribly.


	11. The Aftermath

The Gryffindor Common Room was still quiet and relatively devoid of students when Lily arrived. Those who had already awoken were likely down at breakfast, while the late risers were all still asleep in their beds. With slow, heavy steps, Lily climbed the stairs to the girls' dormitory and opened the door to her room as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the other girls. None of the room's occupants appeared to be awake yet. The curtains were still closed on Emmeline Vance's bed, and none of the lamps were on. Shutting the door silently behind her, Lily tiptoed over to her bed and perched on the end of it, her eyes straying to the beds to her right. Marlene was lying on her stomach, one arm draped over the side of the bed, obviously asleep. On the other side of the still-dreaming blonde, Mary MacDonald was curled on her side in her bed. As Lily watched, the brunette rolled over, yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Immediately, Lily leaned forward and whispered hopefully, "Mary?"

The other girl looked up, her eyes still a bit unfocused, and asked, "Lily? You're awake already? What time's it?"

"Nearly eleven," Lily responded, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. "I got up early to go explore the snow with James, remember?" As she spoke his name, a tiny twinge of emotion wrung at her heart, but she managed to keep her expression blank.

Mary smiled and propped herself up on an elbow.  
"Ooh, yes. How was that? How much snow did we get?"

Lily attempted, unsuccessfully, to smile back as she replied, "We got a few feet. It was.. um.." She trailed off and began to play with the folds in her comforter. "I'm not sure."

"Feet? Wow!" Mary exclaimed in a hushed whisper. Noticing the shift in her friend's tone, she sat up and regarded Lily with concern, "Oh.. what happened?"

"Well everything was going swimmingly," Lily responded. "We went to Hagrid's for tea, then we built a snow family, then we had a snowball fight, then we went in for some butterbeer to warm up." She paused again and bit her lip, unsure how to proceed.

"And then...?" Mary prompted her.

"And _that_ was going fine. Until he asked me out again."

"Oh," was all Mary could think to respond. Privately, she did not find this to be a problem at all. In fact, as she had watched the two Head students grow closer over the course of the fall term, she had been wondering how long it would take James to ask Lily out again.  
"So, what's wrong?" she asked, glancing at the bed between theirs, where Marlene was beginning to stir.

"What d'you mean 'what's wrong'?" Lily demanded, taken aback by this question. "Everything!"

"You said no, then?" Mary queried.

"Who'd she say no to?" Marlene grumbled, blinking her eyes open.

"Yes! Of course!" Lily quickly replied.

Mary shifted her gaze to Marlene and explained, "James Potter asked her out this morning, and she turned him down." Returning her attention to Lily, she said gently, "Well, sweetheart, I'm sorry. Was he being too awful and pestering, then?"

"No," Lily sighed. "That's the bad part. He- we were just having a normal conversation, and then he just.. asks me. And after I said no, everything was ruined! He ran off. Something about Quidditch practice, but I _know_ he doesn't schedule practices this early on Saturday mornings."

"Well..," Mary began, looking uncertainly over at Marlene. "I mean.. What did you expect?"

"I thought he'd.. given up, y'know?" Lily answered, "He hasn't asked me in ages. And we'd become such good friends now."

Marlene shook her head and sat up, now sufficiently conscious to join the conversation.  
"Hopeless boy. Maybe he thought that meant you were warming up to him. That he had a chance, or something. You do like him, don't you?"

"As a friend, of course," Mary clarified.

"Well _yes_, but as a _friend_," Lily replied, with particular emphasis to the last word. Then her eyes widened as a sudden realization occured, and she glanced between the other two as she asked, "I didn't- I wasn't.. leading him on or anything. I never gave him the impression that I wanted to date him, did I?" Somehow, the idea that she might have unintentionally hurt him in this way bothered her intensely.

Marlene cringed slightly.  
"Well...."

Lily gulped.  
"What? What'd I do?"

"Perhaps without realizing it," the blonde continued. "You do spend an awful lot of time with him, outside of patrols and things like that."

"You two get on uncommonly well when you're not competing," Mary added.

Lily's tone was defensive as she attempted to clear herself of blame, "Yeah, but we _have_ to spend lots of time together. We have practically all our classes together. And he's really smart! Why wouldn't I work with him on essays and stuff?"

"Okay, okay. I just want to ask something," Marlene said, holding up her hands in a gesture of conciliation. "What would be the worst that could happen? I mean, everyone knows he fancies you. And he's kept it up after all this time. And, he's really calmed down a whole lot."

"I just.. I don't think of him like that," Lily answered. Even as she said the words, the image of James pinning her against the snow arose in her mind, and she bit her lip to shake off the memory.

"Who _do_ you fancy, then?" Mary asked curiously.

"Do I have to fancy someone all the time?" Lily countered, regarding her friend with suspicion, as thought this were some sort of question intended to trick her into admitting feelings for James that she most certainly did _not_ have.

"Of course not. Just.. Well, it seemed for a long time that maybe you _did_ fancy Potter. Just a bit."

"That I _what_?!" Lily exclaimed, her traitorous brain returning once again to the memory of she and James in the snow when she had thought he was going to kiss her.  
"Well I _don't_," she said vehemently.

"You havent stopped talking about him in weeks, dear," Marlene said gently.

"Because he's my _friend_! I talk about you guys all the time too." Sighing heavily, Lily slumped back against her pillows and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Just so you know, Lily, it's okay if you do fancy him," said Mary.

"And it's equally alright if you don't," Marlene added, just in case Mary's earlier comment should offend their redheaded friend. Lily's temper tended to become even shorter wherever James Potter was concerned.

"Why can't we just be friends and that's that? Why does everyone, _including_ Hagrid, have to keep pairing us off?" Lily demanded to know.

"We're your _friends_, Lily. We're here to help you see things you might have missed," Mary said gently, attempting to soothe her friend's ruffled spirits. "But if you're sure James isnt for you, then that's fine. Absolutely fine! It just seems a bit contrary that you two can be this close-" She held up her crossed second and third fingers to illustrate her point "-and have absolutely nothing going on."

A day ago, Lily would have been quick to assure both of her friends that there wasn't anything going on between her and James, but in light of this morning's events, she was no longer sure she could make this claim. As she was still too afraid to voice this suspicion (and too afraid of its potential consequences), she kept silent.

"But really, Lily, we're here for you," Marlene assured her, regarding the redhead with concern. "I'm sorry he messed up your morning together."

Lily sighed again, remembering James' face after she had turned him down.  
"We might not be that close anymore. He looked- after I said.. I think I really.. hurt him."

Both girls climbed out of their beds to join Lily in hers. Marlene slipped a comforting arm around Lily's shoulders and asked, "What was said exactly?"

"Well, we were talking about all the stuff we've been doing on Animagi in Transfiguration," Lily began, frowning as she tried to recall exactly how the unfortunate event had occurred. "And then he just said 'Lily, will you go out with me?' And I didn't know how to let him down easily, so I just told him that just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm going to agree to date him."

Marlene winced, able to sympathize with James' pain, but kept listening patiently.

"And then he looked.. it was like the light behind his eyes went out. All he said was 'okay then,' and then he stood up and said something about Quidditch practice and then he was gone."

"Well..," Mary began, trying to find a positive take on the situation. "Oh, dear."

Marlene patted Lily gently on the back as her heart went out to both Lily and James.  
"I think.... I think the boy must more than fancy you.. Poor thing."

"I'm so sorry, Lily." Mary said. "This puts you in a bit of an awkward spot."

Awkward was an understatement. "What am I supposed to _do_?" Lily asked, wringing her hands and regarding both her friends in turn. This was the crux of the issue. Over the past two months, she had come to value her friendship with James, and she was terribly afraid that she had now ruined it forever. Perhaps she had been foolish to think that they could go on being friends when he so obviously fancied her, but their relationship had been going so well that she hadn't wanted it to change.

"Well, the first thing to ask yourself is: do you fancy James?" Marlene suggested, while Mary watched with a concerned expression.

"No!" Lily answered emphatically. Why did everyone keep asking her that? "But I like being his friend. I want to stay being his friend."

"That might prove to be tricky, since that doesn't seem to be enough for him," Marlene warned her. "It doesnt look as though either of you can get what you want in this scenario."

Lily's face blanched as she envisioned the rest of the year without the warmth and good humor that James' friendship brought to her life.  
"So that's it? We have to stop being friends?!"

"I didnt say that," Marlene answered quickly. "Things just could get awkward, perhaps."

Mary smiled hopefully.  
"You've turned him down before. I'm sure he'll bounce back."

While Lily sincerely hoped this statement was true, for some reason, she doubted it would be this time.  
"Okay. Well.. Maybe I should talk to Remus about this."

"Maybe," Mary concurred. "Or just let it blow over. It might not even be worth the mention."

"Yeah..," Lily murmured more to herself than the other two. For a moment, she was lost in her own troubled thoughts, but then, unwilling to let this morning's fiasco ruin her entire day, she purposefully changed the subject.  
"Well if you girls are hungry, I could use a second breakfast. My first one was hours ago."

"I'm starved!" said Mary as she hopped off the bed. "Don't worry, Lily. You two are good friends. I'm sure he'll get over it."

Marlene smiled and squeezed Lily's shoulder in a one-armed hug.  
"If it's any consolation, we love you."

Managing a smile, Lily hugged her back, "Thanks." Then she sat up and slid off the bed to follow Mary out the door.

"Hold on! I need my slippers," Marlene called after them, bending to search for the aforementioned footwear underneath her bed. Scarcely ten seconds later, the slippers were located, and the three girls made their way downstairs for a late breakfast. There was a funny lurch in Lily's stomach at the thought that perhaps she might see James. What would she say? Although she spent the better part of the walk downstairs worrying about this possibility, her fears were never realized. She didn't see James in the Great Hall, nor did she see him anywhere around Gryffindor Tower the rest of the day. For that matter, neither did anyone else. All throughout the day, as Lily distractedly worked at her homework, she had a difficult time tearing her mind fully away from the morning's events. In previous years, James had asked her out dozens of times. Each time, she had been able to brush off his pestering and move on with the days' activities. But this year, he had relented. They had become friends. She had gotten help from him, and found him to be quite charming at times. But she didn't want to date him, and there was no harm in that, was there? Marlene and Mary had been of some help, but Lily couldn't help but wonder if she had somehow had a hand in the poor boy's misery.

The boys of Gryffindor dormitory 3C awoke slowly and langorously, as one is wont to do on a snowy morning when one's bed is cozy and warm. It wasn't until Remus remembered that James had an early morning date with Lily that any of the others even registered that one of their roommates was missing. Jokes were exchanged and Sirius threatened to summon his best mate on their two-way magic mirror before the lot of them laughed and decided it was high time for porridge, toast, and jam. And yet, throughout the long day, James did not turn up. The boys half expected him to show up with Lily on his arm around lunch, gloating. But James did not show up. At nine o'clock that evening, James finally did show up, though he was ink-spattered and quite bedraggled-looking. Sirius had been reclining in the Gryffindor Common Room in front of the fire, feet propped on the arm of the worn sofa in front of the fire. Boredom had claimed him some time ago, and he was rather hopeful that one of his mates might come up with some remedy for his restlessness, as he wasn't about to do any homework. Both Remus and Peter had refused to play chess with him, and so he had resigned himself to merely sitting still. The sound of the portrait hole swinging open caught his attention, and he looked up as his best friend trooped through the room.

'Lo, Prongs," he called, sitting up. He took in James' smudged face and quirked a brow. "Did an enchanted ink pot attack you or something?"

James merely grunted in reply, and headed upstairs to the boys' dormitory where he promptly flopped onto his bed, dropping his school bag heavily on the floor. Moments later, Peter, Remus and Sirius entered the room.

"Hey," said Peter. "Where have you been all day? We looked for you at lunchtime, but we didn't see you."

James stretched out his cramped hand.  
"I have just written more words in this one day than in my entire career," he grumbled.

"So that's where you were? The Library?" Peter asked, then turned to mutter to Remus. "We never even thought to look there."

A small twinge of guilt broke through the weight of depression hanging over James' head as he heard that his friends had been searching for him.  
"Were you looking for me?" he asked, propping himself up on an elbow. "Did you lose the map or something?"

"Oh! Well we er..," Peter stammered, blushing and glancing at Sirius for assistance. "We just thought-"

Rolling his eyes at Peter's modesty, Sirius interrupted, "We didn't want to look too carefully unless you and Red were enjoying yourselves a bit too much." As he spoke, he winked meaningfully at James.

To all three boys' surprise, James' response to this teasing was to grunt and flop back down on his bed. When James had mentioned his and Lily's plans for this morning, the boys had all been expecting things to go very well for their friend. After a few moments' pause, Remus inquired, "Did something happen, James?"

"I warned you you can't expect her to snog you on the _first_ date," Sirius said, shaking his head at what must certainly have been an amateur move.

Ignoring Sirius' comment, James said flatly, "She said 'no.' Only this time I think it means for good."

His best mate's expression morphed from teasing to serious in an unbelievably short amount of time.  
"Oh," was all Sirius could think to say.

"Yeah," James responded quietly, staring blankly up at the ceiling again.

Remus was the first to break the very thick silence that followed. "Well... What happened, mate?"

Rolling to his stomach, James propped himself up and began with a sigh. "Well, I told you lot we were going out this morning to have a lark in the snow, right? Well, we did. And it was all going perfectly. Went down to see Hagrid, had a snowball fight- she was _definitely_ flirting with me- and then we came inside for a drink and to warm up." He wet his lips, stalling for time, as this part of the story was one he was not exactly thrilled to recount. "And then, we were talking and everything was fine, and I asked her. And she turned me down, just like that."

"Hang on-" Sirius said immediately. "She was flirting with you? And she still won't admit-?" He broke off, shaking his head. "Women," he grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"I know,"" James agreed. "I bloody well know."

"What did she say, exactly?" Remus asked. He was certain that things between James and Lily had been progressing quite nicely. Perhaps all this could be chalked up to a misunderstanding, and James had misinterpreted whatever Lily had said.

James cast his eyes over at Remus, who had climbed on to the foot of his own bed and was sitting cross-legged and concerned. "She turns to me after I ask her and gets this pitying expression on her face and says-" he broke into a falsetto imitation of Lily's voice "-_Oh, James, just cos we're friends doesn't mean I'm going to ever date you_."

Though James had often grown frustrated at his numerous and failed attempts to get Lily to go out with him, he had seldom if ever resorted to mocking the girl. His mates exchanged a look at his gibe, but Peter spoke first.

"Have you ever thought that maybe you could give up on her?"

"Well, yeah," James admitted.

"You are on a bit of a sinking ship, there, Prongs," Sirius observed quietly.

James groaned and dropped his head down to the quilted coverlet. "You should have heard her, though!" he exclaimed, muffling the sound of his voice in the blankets. He looked up at his friends glumly. "It was like I was some little third year with a crush. She totally just shook me off like I didn't even say anything, like I haven't been trying my damndest for months to be what she wanted."

"I'm quite sure she didn't mean to belittle you," defended Remus. "I don't think Lily would be intentionally cruel to anyone."

"It's just..." James said, trailing off as he searched for the words. "It's hard to cut off and say no, I wont have feelings for you anymore."

A long silence followed this pronouncement. None of the other boys had ever so wholly pursued someone.

"So," Sirius ventured. "What are you going to do?"

James shrugged.  
"Give up, I guess. What else can I do? I can literally think of nothing else to try."

"But she's said no hundreds of times before!" Peter protested.

"There was something different this time," James explained, "It was like.. things were going so well, so I asked her, and then the way she turned me down, it was almost like she pitied me."

Sirius sighed.  
"That blows, mate. I really thought she was warming up to you."

James' only response was a muttered, "Yeah," accompanied by an unintelligible swear word, then silence fell once again upon the dormitory room.

Sirius leaned against one of James' bedposts, apparently deep in thought. When he spoke up again a few moments later, his voice was quiet and serious.  
"Maybe you should move on," he began, then paused again as he struggled with his desire to bolster his friend's spirits and his desire not to come off like a total ponce. "I mean.. you're a great bloke. If she can't see that, then it's her loss."

"Cheers, Sirius," said James, managing to muster a smile for possibly the first time that day since he'd left Lily in the kitchens. Everything had gone to hell, he was sure of it. Awkwardness would not be an unwelcome but unrelenting presence in all of their interactions. Should he try to move on? He could not simply transplant his affections onto some other girl when he had spent so much of his time pursuing Lily. He had been so sure she would someday see him in a better light. So sure, and yet so awfully misguided.

"No really," Sirius continued, bringing James back to reality, "You deserve to be with a girl who.. who appreciates that." And then, having apparently exhausted his store of sappiness, he lapsed into silence again.

Despite the somber mood in the room, Remus couldn't help smirking, "That was almost touching, Sirius."

Although this comment earned him a half-hearted glare from Sirius, it did nothing to distract James.  
"All I can think of is how awkward patrols are going to be now," he said, his face buried in his pillow once more.

"Ohhhh, I suppose I could switch slots with you," Remus said, grimacing.

James looked up.  
"I am so, so, so tempted to take you up on that. When she turned me down, I just sort of panicked and bolted. I don't know what I'll say to her when I see her again..."

Remus smiled gently as he responded, "That's understandable. Are you sure switching is what you want, though?"

With a heavy sigh, James dropped his head onto his blankets again and answered, "No."

Ever the sensible one, Remus continued, "Might be a bit hard to cut her out completely, considering you both have Head duties to complete together all year."

James' only response was a groan. Sirius frowned and said, "Ew. That is like some sick form of torture. Maybe Dumbledore could switch out you and Prongs for Head Boy."

"Yes, I'm sure James can't wait to visit the Headmaster and explain the reason for _that_ request," Remus answered dryly, while James lifted his head to fix Sirius with a withering glare.

"Just thinking aloud here! Merlin!" the black-haired lad exclaimed. Looking down at James, he continued, "Well I personally think you need to get over Evans. Meaning you ought to start actually looking at other girls. Plenty of fish in the sea and all that."

"I just thought I had a chance..," James began, then shook his head and changed the topic, both unwilling and unable to discuss Lily Evans any further today.  
"So what'd you blokes do? Today, I mean."

Sirius accepted the change of topic with a shrug.  
"Eh. Homework mostly. Had a snowball fight this afternoon. How come we didn't see you at dinner?"

"Honestly, I didn't even realize how late it was until about twenty minutes ago," James explained.

The other three boys were silent again, realizing what a momentous thing it was for him to have forgotten about something as important as dinner. Before the mood could slip again, Remus looked between the foursome and asked, "You know what this calls for?"

Sirius, who had been thinking along the same lines, immediately straightened and responded, "A trip to the kitchens? Excellent! I could use a late night snack."

Though he would honestly have preferred to lay still and mope, James recognized the wisdom of putting a bit of food into his system. Peter was already out the door, with Remus and Sirius close behind, so he sat up and slid to his feet beside his four-poster. Once he'd shuffled his feet into his shoes, he followed them downstairs and out the portrait hole. When they reached the kitchens not ten minutes later, he allowed himself to be distracted from his heartache by the considerable comforts of good friends and scrumptious food. And though he put forth a good effort, his laughter was hollow, and his jokes lacked the zing that was so characteristic of James.

Remus watched his friend carefully throughout the evening. He, as a Prefect, had the particular and rather precarious position of being one of James' best mates, as well as one of Lily's most established co-workers. He had been so sure that the pair of them were going to end up together. And now, he felt a strange wrenching. He knew he ought to be loyal to James, but he could not in good conscience vilify Lily. Even though she had rejected James, she must have had a reason. Really, it was all a muddled mess, with loads of feelings tangled in.

And so the next morning, once the lads had enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together and James and Sirius had fled to the Quidditch Pitch for a morning of therapeutic flying, Remus returned to the common room in search of Lily. Simply for his own sake, he needed to talk to her and hear her side of the story, even if he never shared this information with James. He found her in her usual window seat, a stack of textbooks beside her and a scroll of parchment in her lap. Smiling, he approached the window and moved the stack of books to the floor so that he had room to sit facing her on the other end of the window seat.

Lily looked up as her stack of books relocated itself to the floor and smiled once she recognized her sandy-haired friend, though the smile was tinged with guilt. Seeing Remus made her think of her last disastrous conversation with James. If she did not miss her guess, that was the reason he was here to talk to her.  
"Hi Remus," she said. "How're you?"

"Fine, fine," he replied. "And yourself?"

She shrugged in response, and after a few moments of tense silence between the two, Remus decided to be frank.  
"Look, Lily. I'm sure you've already guessed what I wanted to talk to you about. I- I wanted to hear, from you, what happened yesterday morning."

"Oh.. yes. I figured," Lily began. She stared fixedly at her hands for a minute, then peeped timidly up at him to ask, "Is James.. very upset about it? I didn't want to hurt him, I just.."

"He's.. hurt, yes. But I don't think you could have expected him to feel otherwise," Remus answered.

Lily's face fell.  
"I know. I didn't want it to be like this," she said earnestly. "I'm sure I could have- could have let him down more easily or something, but I wasn't expecting it, so.. I wasn't prepared."

Remus sighed. As he'd suspected, none of yesterday's fiasco had occurred as a result of some intentional cruelty on Lily's part. He was beginning to think that the redhead simply did not understand the depth of James' feelings for her. Perhaps she never had. He would have to choose his words carefully, in order to offer Lily solid advice on repairing her and James' relationship without betraying his best friend's confidence. While Sirius and Peter were now of the opinion that James should immediately move on and get over his fancy for his co-Head, Remus was not yet able to agree. He still privately felt that James and Lily would make a good match. They were two of his most trusted and respected friends, and they really did seem to get along well nowadays. He wished he could get her to see that, for both their sakes, but he doubted the wisdom of trying to convince the very stubborn Lily Evans to give James a chance.  
"You haven't caused irreparable damage to his psyche, if that's what you're worried about," he said wryly. Then his expression softened as he asked, "But, Lily, are you sure you don't want to er.. reconsider?"

A faint frown flickered across her face, and she raised her eyes in an expression of exasperation as she demanded, "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Well-" Remus began, as he had a very good explanation for this phenomenon that so exasperated Lily, but she cut him off.

"Of course I like him. We're _friends_. But that doesn't mean I _like_ like him. Why can't we just be friends? Why does everyone want to change that?"

Realizing that he had overstepped some sort of boundary, Remus began to backpedal quickly.  
"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, Lily. I just- I sort of had to ask, for James' sake. There's nothing wrong with you two being friends, and I think he will eventually be able to accept that. Just, for now, you might have to-" He paused, unsure how much of James' current emotional state he ought to reveal.  
"Just tread carefully," he finally concluded. "I'm not sure you realize how much he cares."

Lily sighed again, releasing the tension that his earlier question had caused, and responded, "I will. But.. what do I do? We- I mean James and I- can still be friends, right? He doesn't.. hate me or anything now, does he?"

Remus had to suppress a laugh at the last question.  
"I don't think he could ever hate you, Lily. But perhaps it would be best for you give him some space. Let him adjust to the way things have to be."

"Okay. I can do that," she said, clearly relieved to have his input.

"These things have a way of working themselves out," he said, smiling encouragingly at her. "You'll see."

"Yeah..," she answered vaguely, momentarily lost in thought. Then she returned Remus' smile and added, "Thanks, Remus. I was kind of worried that I'd er.. ruined it all."

"Nah. Just give him some time," he answered. "Any way, you look like you've got plenty to do, and I ought to be finishing up my own school work, so I'll let you get back to your books."

"Unfortunately, I do," Lily agreed. "Thanks again. I'll see you around."

As Remus slid off the window seat, she leaned over to retrieve her stack of books and resumed her studies with a renewed ability to concentrate. Remus' comforting conversation had left her with a much lighter weight on her mind. Remus and James were best friends. If he said James would be all right, then surely he would be. They could go back to their easy, enjoyable friendship and everything would be fine. Still, as she lifted her quill to her parchment to begin her essay, Lily could not push that one last, nagging doubt from her mind. She'd never seen James look so utterly dejected as he had the moment after she'd turned him down. Could things really go back to the way they'd been before? After three long minutes of mulling the question over in her mind, Lily sighed and resigned herself to the knowledge that only time would tell.


	12. Patrolling Again

The coursework assigned to the seventh-year students seemed to increase exponentially as the end of term approached. During each day's free periods for the upperclassmen, the Library was found to be crammed with students feverishly rifling through texts, writing essays, and having miniature breakdowns as the workload they had been assigned grew larger, rather than smaller. Even the seventh-year Gryffindor boys, who seldom were spotted in public doing much of anything studious were rather subdued and focused. The oldest students watched almost jealously as the underclassmen skipped about, scarcely remembering what it felt like to write an eight-inch essay or transfigure a needle into straw. Really, there was little time to wish for bygone years and less stressful times, because there was not a moment to spare. Teachers continued the impress upon the students the necessity for being utterly prepared for their N.E.W.T. examinations this coming spring. November hardly seemed an appropriate time to plan for things that would be occurring in June, and yet, there was nothing else to do but go to class and get to work.

Aside from their ever-lengthening list of assignments, this week the seventh-years had to add career counseling to their list of duties. Throughout the week, each student would meet once with the Deputy Headmistress to discuss the next steps that would need to be taken in order to pursue his chosen career. Lily, who had big and bright plans for her future, was eager to get a head start on the process, so she had signed up for a meeting on Monday afternoon, during her after-lunch free period. And so, after a relaxing lunch hour chatting with her best friends, she waved them goodbye in the Entrance Hall and walked up the stairs to the third floor, where Professor McGonagall's office was located. When she arrived, the door was open, so she peered inside.

"Come in, Miss Evans," McGonagall said briskly, then looked back down at the essay she was grading while she waited for Lily to enter her office and take a seat. Once she had written a large, red "A" at the top of the essay, she set it aside and folded her hands on her desk.  
"Now then," she said, surveying Lily with a rare smile, "If I remember correctly, the last time we spoke on this subject you wanted to become a Healer. Is that still your intention?"

"It is," Lily answered with a nod.

McGonagall bent to open one of her left desk drawers, rifled through the papers a moment, and pulled out a parchment scroll that she lifted to eye level and began scanning.  
"Judging by your marks and O.W.L. results, it looks as though you're well on track to earn the necessary N.E.W.T.s," she said. "Have you begun your application process yet?"

"Not yet. I wasn't sure where exactly to get my hands on an application."

"Ah, well that is easily remedied," the Deputy Headmistress said. "I always keep a few copies of those more standard applications on file." Bending down again, she opened the same drawer from which she had taken the list of Lily's marks, and pulled out an even thicker scroll of parchment, which she handed to Lily.  
"You'll have to double check on that scroll, but I believe this year's due date is March 30, which gives you plenty of time to fill it out. Aside from the application itself, you'll need two recommendations from your professors. I will, of course, be happy to write one for you, but I believe you might be better served to ask Professors Slughorn and Flitwick, as Potions and Charms are two of the most essential subjects for a Healer to have mastered."

"All right," Lily said, taking the offered scroll and opening it a few inches to peruse the first few lines. "Besides sending in my application and making sure to earn all my N.E.W.T.s, is there anything else I need to do?"

"Nothing at all," McGonagall responded. "Keep up the excellent work you've been doing these past six years, and I feel certain St. Mungo's will accept you into their program."

Lily smiled gratefully at the praise and said, "I hope so. Well.. those are all the questions I had.."

"Then you're free to be on your way," said McGonagall. "In fact, it looks like my next advisee has already arrived. Come right in, Mr. Potter."

Upon hearing James' name, Lily had to force herself not to whip around and stare at him. As it was, she could feel her cheeks beginning to redden. She still had not spoken a word to him since he had hurried out of the kitchens last Saturday. This was partly by design, of course. Lily had taken Remus' advice to heart and was trying to give James space. At breakfast, she had sat with with the other seventh year girls, only flashing a smile in James' direction when he had walked by her on his way to his seat with the rest of the Marauders. In Potions this morning, Professor Slughorn had informed the class that they would be brewing this next potion alone. And so the morning had easily slipped by with hardly any contact between the two Head students. Except for now, of course.

Quickly, Lily stood up and shouldered her school bag, so that James could take her place in the seat across from McGonagall's desk. For one long, agonizing moment, they stood facing one another, as Lily tried desperately to think of something to say.  
"H'lo, James," was all she could come up with.

"Lily," he nodded, his expression carefully blank.

Relieved that he had at least spoken to her, she flashed him a brilliant smile on her way out the door, saying, "Have fun! And thanks, Professor."

James waited until she had passed before entering Professor McGonagall's office and seating himself in the all-too-familiar rickety chair in front of her desk. He was met briefly by a speedy mental montage of all the detentions and warnings he had received while seated in this very spot. He fought the urge to laugh and kept his expression pleasant, waiting for McGonagall to speak.

"Well, Potter," she said after surveying him for several moments, her expression a bit clouded. "Do you have the first portion of your application finished?"

"Oh- er, yes, Professor," he said, reaching down by his feet to extract the small sheaf of parchment which had kept him up for the past three nights. He handed it over, and Professor McGonagall took it from him, her sharp eyes scanning his words. After another few moments of silence, while McGonagall read and James leaned his chair back on two legs, she shuffled the papers back into order.

"Four legs on the ground!" she snapped, and James let his chair fall forward. "I'd rather not take you to the Hospital Wing, Potter."

"Sorry, Professor," James said quickly. "Is everything alright with my application?"

McGonagall's expression softened. "Too right, it is," she said, her tone lightening. "I will readily admit to you that by the time you had completed your second year here, I did not think I would ever see the day where you would have begun to apply to the Auror Academy," she said, and James thought he could almost detect a note of amusement in her voice. She continued; "As it is, however, I must offer you a bit of advice. When I submit for you this first section of your application, I will have to include a letter of recommendation-" she paused and looked at him gravely. "And, Potter, I will not conceal the penchant for mischief you carry. It would be most unfair to your potential employer. However," she added, as James was about to protest. "I will lay special emphasis on the fact that both your marks and your personal behavior have reached a more than satisfactory level. Though a few of my colleagues were at first apprehensive, you have assisted them most aptly in stuffing each's foot into his or her mouth. You were not made Head Boy without reason."

James was not sure how to respond to this pronouncement. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again to eke out a "Thanks, Professor".

"That being said," said McGonagall in a businesslike tone, "I have received another letter from the International Quidditch League scout. He will still be attending the final match of the year, so do make sure you get Gryffindor to the finals, won't you, Potter?"

James grinned. "You can bet on it," he said, his eyes shining.

"And so," said Professor McGonagall as she sealed James' Auror Academy application and placed it in a tray on her meticulously organized desk, "nothing remains until our next meeting. If the Academy is pleased with this first portion, they will be sending the second by owl post. For now, you are free to go."

James stood up, shouldering his bag.

"One moment-" said McGonagall, lifting a finger. James sat back down.

"Around lunch today, the statues of winged boars that flank the entrances to our beloved school were found to be dancing on their pedestals, bedecked in rather unflattering ballerina tutus. You would not have had anything to do with this, of course, have you, Potter?"

James' lips twitched.

"'Course not, Professor," he said, and he was quite sure Professor McGonagall swallowed the beginnings of a laugh.

"Very well," she said. "Off you go. You may send in my next appointment," she instructed as he exited.

James left the Deputy Headmistress' office, feeling rather relieved. She had sent off the first portion of his application, the Quidditch League scout would be attending the Inter-House Quidditch Cup final, and he and Sirius had gotten away without punishment for their latest prank. The only blight on an otherwise wonderful day was his run-in with Lily. He was met at the door by another seventh-year boy called Tristan Bishop.

"You're up," he said as he passed, nodding toward Professor McGonagall's office door. Tristan stood up and walked inside as James trudged back to the Gryffindor Common Room to continue hacking away at his abysmally large stack of assignments.

As the week progressed, relations between the two Head students grew increasingly less strained. It would be difficult to judge which party was more relieved by this. For her part, Lily was glad to know that she had not, in fact, ruined their friendship forever; she was hopeful that things would soon return to normal. James, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised to find that he could endure the sight of the object of his spurned affections, that he could actually talk to her, without feeling the overwhelming urge to escape to the Quidditch Pitch. Slowly but surely, he was learning to be content with her friendship. Despite Sirius' numerous hints and suggestions that he ought to cut the redhead out of his life completely, James could not stomach the thought of life without Lily. Even if it was all he could ever have, friendship with Lily Evans was better than nothing at all.

Of course, this did not mean that he wasn't at least a bit wary of Thursday evening, when they were supposed to conducting their weekly patrol rounds. Up until a few days ago, Thursday evenings had been the highlight of his week; now he was almost dreading the two hours he would have to spend alone with the always alluring, perpetually unattainable Head Girl. Remus had not mentioned switching with him again, and in truth James would have been ashamed of himself if he had taken the coward's route and accepted his friend's first offer to switch patrol schedules. Still, as the nine o'clock hour approached that evening, he found himself growing restless and unable to concentrate on the chapter of his Arithmancy textbook that he was supposed to be reading.

Remus, who was occupying the other end of the couch on which James was sprawled, eventually noticed that the black-haired lad had not turned a page in several minutes. He looked up from his own reading and offered his friend an encouraging smile. One second later, his expression changed. He raised his eyebrows and gave a slight nod in the direction of the space just behind James' left shoulder. Following Remus' indication, James turned around just in time to see Lily approaching his couch, her wand held loosely in her hand.

"Hey Remus, James," she greeted both lads, then focused her attention on the latter. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," James responded, resurrecting what he thought was a smile as he stood up.

"Off we go then. Bye, Remus!" Lily continued, turning to head for the portrait hole.

James lingered by the couch a few moments longer, feeling like a young boy being dragged off for punishment, and mumbled to Remus, "See you..."

"Best of luck, Prongs. Be good," the sandy-haired boy responded in a low voice. He flashed James an encouraging smile as the other boy walked away and decided right then and there that it would probably be best if he remained in the common room until their patrol ended, in case either party was in need of his council.

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Lily turned to James and asked with a rather fixed-on smile, "So d'you want to patrol from top to bottom or bottom to top this time?"

"Er.. either one really," he answered, shoving his hands awkwardly into his pockets and leaning against the wall.

"Well I think we started in the Astronomy Tower last time, so maybe this time we should start with the dungeons?"

He stood up and began walking toward the staircase, a half-hearted smile on his face.  
"All right. Lead on, fearless leader."

Lily nodded and followed him towards the staircase as silence settled over the pair. Whereas a week ago, they had both been content to walk alongside one another without any need for constant conversation, Lily was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the silence stretching between them now. James must have felt the same way, for he eventually asked, "So.. how was your advising appointment on Monday?"

Her relief was almost palpable. "Oh, it went well. I finally got my hands on a Mungo's application. I don't know why I didn't think to ask McGonagall for one a month ago," she answered.

He turned and looked at her with his first real smile of the evening.  
"Healing? That _is_ right up your alley."

"You think so?" she asked, peering up at him with a hopeful little smile on her lips.

"Honestly," James assured her. "How long is training for that?"

"Two more years. I'll start in August, if they accept me," she said, heaving a tiny sigh, "And I really hope they do. I honestly can't think of anything else I'd rather do."

"I can't imagine them turning _you_ down."

"Well there's bound to be loads of applicants, and only fifteen of us can be accepted.."

James shook his head. There was no doubt in his mind that she would get in. The Healers at Mungo's would have to be idiots to refuse her.  
"Don't worry about it. You're the best in our year."

"Let's just hope Mungo's agrees with you," Lily responded, her smile widening in gratitude for his encouragement. "So, how'd your appointment go?"

"Well, I finished the first half of my application, and it turns out the League scout is for sure coming to watch the finals, so I'd better make sure our team gets in!" James said, his smile growing with every word he spoke.

"Really? That's fantastic!" she answered, grinning as well. His enthusiasm was catching, and she was glad to see that, at least for now, his usually buoyant spirits had returned. "Your application to where?" she asked, "I didn't know you had to fill out a form to join a Quidditch team."

"Oh, no, sorry. That was for the London Auror Academy," he clarified.

Lily's eyes grew round. He was applying to be an Auror as well?  
"_Oh_. Wow," was all she said for a moment as she studied him. Now that she thought about it, that sort of job would suit him well, perhaps even better than being a professional Quidditch player would.  
"I should have figured though. I mean.. I can sorta see you out there, fighting evil and all that," she said, remembering the conversation they had had during their first round of patrols, when he had explained his hatred for the Dark Arts.

James turned his head to study her curiously, his expression unreadable. After a beat of silence, he shrugged and said, "Yeah. I dunno. It'd be cool to play professional Quidditch too."

"You'd be great at that too," Lily said, laughing as she remarked to herself that the boy certainly could not be accused of low expectations for his professional life.

"Thanks," was all he said.

They continued on for the length of a hallway in a silence that was much more companionable than the one at the beginning of the patrol, then Lily's curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "So which one are you going to choose if they both accept you?"

James gave a little laugh of disbelief and answered, "That's a pretty big _if_. I don't know. The Academy?"

"Oh I don't know about that," Lily said, "You're pretty much tied with me in every class."

He grinned again.  
"Cheers. And I've beaten you in Transfiguration the past three years, don't you forget."

As she was unable to actually deny the truth of this statement, Lily teased, "Yeah but that doesn't count. You're.. unfairly gifted in that subject."

James laughed in response,  
"Yes, well. Someone's got to set the competition for you."

Smirking, Lily stepped closer and jabbed him playfully in the side with her elbow as she returned, "You never know. Maybe I'll beat you this year."

The smile on his face vanished as his mood began to sour. Why in Merlin's name did she insist on flirting with him when she still refused to date him? It was, to put it plainly, ridiculously unfair.  
"Doubt it," he grunted and took a rather larger step forward to put a safe distance between himself and Lily.

Her feminine perceptiveness allowed her to quickly pick up on the change in her companion's mood, but Lily was confused as to why he now wore such a dour expression. She couldn't have elbowed him that hard, and surely he didn't think she was trying to belittle his Transfiguration talent.  
"Sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked, just to be certain.

James paused beneath the staircase leading to the next floor and studied her face a moment. There was no hint of mischief or mocking in her eyes. Evidently she was unaware of the effect she still had on him.  
"Forget it. Sorry," he said, then turned and began climbing the stairs.

Lily followed two steps behind him, wondering where their lighthearted mood had gone. They had descended into another uncomfortable silence, and she was so distracted trying to think of something to say that she forgot that this staircase contained a trick step. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, her foot landed on the aforementioned step.  
"Well d'you- GAH!" she exclaimed, gasping in surprise as her right leg sunk through the step up to her knee.

James turned around to find out what had happened and had to struggle against the temptation to laugh. Extending a hand, he scampered down the steps between them and teased, "Nice one, Evans." Once he reached the step that had trapped her, he leaned down, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her bodily out of the hole.

Blushing in embarrassment at her predicament, Lily bit her lip and grasped his biceps tightly as he lifted her out. The thought flitted through her mind as she was set back on solid ground that he was surprisingly strong, but she was soon occupied in maintaining her balance. The instant her feet had touched the next step, James had let go of her and resumed climbing the staircase.

"So, seven years at school and you don't remember to jump the step?" he asked, more to have something to focus on than out of curiosity. Picking her up like that had been a mistake, as his mind was now being assailed with images of what might have happened if he had just leaned down and kissed her like he'd been wanting to for years. And, to his immense frustration, like he still wanted to, despite her last and final refusal to give him a chance.

Lily blushed again.  
"Er.. well.. I was um.. I was busy thinking," she explained. "Thanks, though, for pulling me out. That one's particularly difficult to climb out of."

"About what?" James asked curiously.

"Oh. Well..," she began, searching for a way to explain her carelessness that would not cause another awkward silence. "I was just trying to think of another erm.. topic of conversation."

"Ah," he responded. He took a breath in preparation to comment, but then decided to just let the matter rest.

Lily was silent as well, waiting and wondering if James was going to say anything about the proverbial elephant in the room. When he said nothing, she began to wonder if perhaps now was the time to speak up and ask the question that had been plaguing her since Saturday. After all, if they were going to continue as friends, didn't they need to at least talk about what had happened? In the end, her courage failed her, and she merely continued walking.

"So.....," James finally said. The silence had grown unbearable again.

Mercifully, Lily was in that moment seized with sudden inspiration. She looked up at him and asked, "So.. what're you doing for the holidays? If we survive until then, that is."

"Going home. Sirius is going with me, so that'll be good," he responded, then turned the question back around on her. "You?"

"I'm going home too," was the response. After a few moments, she asked cautiously, "Does Sirius usually go home with you? There was a rumor going 'round last year.."

"What?" James asked, surprised by the question. "Oh, yeah. He's got his own flat in London, but he comes 'round my parents' place on weekends and holidays like Christmas."

Lily shook her head in sorrow at the idea of a son not being welcomed in his own parents' home at Christmas.  
"I can't imagine... That's lovely of your parents though. Must be fun for you too."

"Definitely. He's my best mate," James agreed. "He's sort of been halfway adopted by my parents, at any rate. It's nice."

"Really?" Lily smirked, "So how does your Mum like having _two_ rambunctious teenage boys around the house?"

"Honestly? She loves it. I'm the only kid that's been in that house for about forty years," he answered.

"Wow," she said. That certainly explained why Marla Potter's hair had been so gray when Lily had met her last August.

"Well, I mean, til Sirius and them started coming 'round," James amended.

Lily smiled, envisioning the vivacious woman she had met in Diagon Alley attempting to make a younger James and Sirius behave at the dinner table.  
"I imagine your Mum'd like having you lot hanging around."

"How do you mean?" he asked warily, wondering if this was one of those wily female insults that didn't hit until an hour later.

"She just seemed to be the sort lady who genuinely enjoys people," Lily explained.

"Oh. Yes."

"And I may be totally off on this, but I can't imagine her wanting to sit around a quiet house just knitting all day," she added.

"Definitely not," James said. "She used to be an herbalist, but she still keeps this massive garden outside our house. She's in there most of the days, when she and Da aren't calling on their friends."

Lily smiled at the mental image of the elderly couple making old-fashioned social calls on their equally white-haired friends.  
"How long've your parents been married?"

As he did not have numbers of this sort memorized, James was forced to think a moment. He looked up, as if the answer was written on the doorway through which they were walking, and finally answered, "Er... sixty-eight years, I think?"

Lily's eyes widened. She had noticed that Marla Potter looked a good deal older than her own parents, but she would have never guessed James' mother to be _that_ much older. "Wow," she said, smiling. "That's impressive. And adorable."

"What about your holidays?" James asked, changing the subject.

"I imagine they'll be pretty uneventful," Lily said with a shrug of her shoulders. "This year, we're spending Christmas with my Mum's parents. Although..." she hesitated. "I wonder if Petunia's bringing her fiance along."

James glanced down at his companion curiously. "He's a Muggle, yes?" he asked, trying to remember from what Lily had told him in a prior conversation. Based on her flat tone, he extrapolated, "And.. an unpleasant one?"

Lily snorted in a highly un-ladylike manner. "That's an understatement," she exclaimed. "He's a pompous fool who thinks nothing of others' feelings. I don't understand how my parents put up with him, much less what Petunia sees in him."

"What's he like?" James had never heard Lily make any sort of derisive comments about anyone before, much less her own sister's intended. His curiosity was piqued.

"Well," Lily said, trying to find the words to describe the great oaf that was Vernon Dursley, "he works at this factory that makes.. tools? Drills? Something boring. But that's all he ever talks about." A beat's hesitation passed, and she added; "That or some other accomplishment of his, like the spiffy auto he's managed to buy or the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood that he and Petunia are going to live in."

By this time, James was snickering. This served only to egg Lily on, however, and she continued vehemently.

"You can't talk about anything but him when he's there!" she exclaimed. Then, apparently realizing how unforgiving she had been, she added almost hesitantly; "Although, to his credit, he does brag about Tuney too. I suppose if he loves her at least half as much as he loves himself, things might work out for them."

Lily's description of this Vernon Dursley had James in a fit. He managed to choke out; "Gotta be honest, I k-i-i-ind of want to meet this bloke."

It took Lily a moment to envision this meeting. However, any way she worked it out, it would end in quite a lot of hilarity. She giggled. "Well, you could always drop by over the holidays. There's a good chance he'll be there." Though she had said it mainly in jest, it struck her that she really wouldn't mind having him come over. There was a beat of silence, however, that followed her jovial invitation, in which James had plenty of time to wonder just what it was the red-haired minx thought she was playing at. Did she really think to string him along, even now?

However, any response James might have made was interrupted. As they rounded the corner, they happened upon a group of students, speaking in hushed whispers around an opened closet door.

"Hey!" Lily called automatically, startling the others. "What are you lot doing out of your common room? It's an hour past curfew."

James crossed his arms beside her, his shoulders square and stance authoritative.

The first of the students glared up at the Heads defiantly. "We're not doing anything!" he exclaimed defensively.

Lily had drawn herself up to her full height- which was, of course, only five feet, four inches- and gripped her wand. "Really?" she asked sarcastically. "And this explains why you're nosing about in a supply closet at ten o'clock at night."

Next to her, James snorted. "Come on, you lot. Do you really think that any of you can pull one over on _me_?" His reputation, of course, was mottled with the laundry list of petty offenses that the boys had managed to accrue over the years. The best thing about being a semi-delinquent, however, was being able to spot an amateur. "What's it you're after?" he pressed.

The ragtag lot looked at each other, flushed with guilt. James didn't recognize the students as being from one of the four houses; clearly, they were underclassmen. One of the boys- a shady-looking tall boy with dark circles under his eyes- caught James' eye as he attempted to slip something into his pocket.  
"Oi!" James said, startling Lily, who had just opened her mouth to interject. "Give that here!" he insisted, holding his hand out to the boy.

The boy held up his hands in a would-be innocent expression. "I haven't got anything," he said slowly, sneering. "See? Empty hands."

Lily, for her part, was having none of this. She pointed her wand at the boy and said "_Accio!_"

"Hey!" the boy cried. "You can't do that!"

"She can do whatever she pleases, shitwit," James snapped. The group of students had been edging toward the open hallway, but James cleared his throat and the motion stopped. Lily looked down at the item she had summoned, and was surprised to find nothing more than a bottle of Mrs. Skower's Magical Mess Remover. Her eyes narrowed.

"What on earth did you want with _this_?" she asked, entirely confused. Whoever heard of students stealing a cleaning concentrate?

The boy who had first spoken, who James had determined was named Richard Sleetworth of Slytherin, cleared his throat. "Er... we had something to clean up," he offered lamely.

"Yes," Lily said sarcastically. "That explains the guilty expressions on all your faces." She and James exchanged a look. "Come on. The sooner you fess up, the less house points we'll take off."

A beat of unyielding silence followed.

"Or," James continued, "We could go straight to the Deputy Headmistress.

A dark-haired girl with an upturned nose make a little squealing noise of alarm. "All right, fine!" she said. "We were nicking Filch's stuff so we could jinx it."

"To do _what_?' Lily asked, exasperatedly.

The girl sighed. "To turn into dirt when it touched the floor," she said glumly.

The other two boys glared at her.

Lily held up the bottle and examined the outside. "Have you already messed with it?" she asked, holding it gingerly.

"No er.. we were going to do that back in the common room," admitted the girl.

James shook his head. "As impressive a bit of magic as that is, you lot are busted." Within moments, he had ascertained that the group comprised of two Slytherin boys, and one girl from Hufflepuff and another from Slytherin. He got their names while Lily added them to the ledger of notable events which the students had to turn in at the end of each patrol. However, since no blatant crime had been committed, she was not exactly sure how severely to punish them.

"Well," James said after thinking a moment, "that'll ten points each from Slytherin, and ten from Hufflepuff. Now get back to your common rooms. I will know if you aren't there in three minutes, and you'll all be in detention."

"And don't let us ever catch you plotting something like this again," warned Lily, for good measure.

The group hurried off, casting dark looks over their shoulders at Lily and James as they went. They split off, and the lone Hufflepuff girl darted down the hall while the Slytherins headed downstairs.

Once she was sure they were well out of earshot, Lily turned to James and asked, curiously, "How on earth will you know if they're not back in their common rooms? I never pegged you for someone who doles out empty threats."

James smirked. "I have my ways," he said vaguely, the fingers of his left hand flitting quickly over his pocket.

Lily didn't know whether to roll her eyes or take him seriously. "Do you think we can trust them? That they haven't already done something to the bottle, I mean."

"Trust them?" James, asked, scarcely suppressing a laugh. "No. Prolly ought to remove any charms on the bottle, just in case."

"My thoughts exactly." agreed Lily, waving her wand over the bottle. "There," she said, satisfied, placing the bottle back upon one of the cluttered shelves of the supplies closet. She turned back to James with a small smile. "Onward, then?" she asked, gesturing toward the stairs.

"Onward and upward, as ever," James said, the slight thrill of their interrupted patrols ebbing away as he faced more time immersed with his fellow Head.

"Right-o, sir," Lily teased, offering a mock salute to James' seriousness. He could not fight a smile at her playfulness, and followed her as she strode off down the hallway, calling out cheerily; "Only two floors left to go!"

With a sigh, James followed her. It seemed as though that's what he would always be doing; following Lily from a distance. He had gotten close, once... But perhaps this was better. Maybe being in a relationship with her would throw off their banter and the easy rhythm of their friendship. Perhaps he ought to give Sirius' insistent suggestions a listen and give the girl up for good. He quickened his pace and hurried after her, falling into step beside Lily as they rounded the next corridor. The rest of their patrol was uneventful, and they returned to Gryffindor Tower without running into any more would-be delinquents.

As the final weeks of the fall term rolled by, James and Lily managed to settle back into the friendship they had previously enjoyed. Or, to put it more accurately, they both became so wrapped up in their fast-approaching exams that neither one had extra time or energy to devote to relational angst. The closer they got to December 12, the more this became true of everyone else in the castle. The majority of the student body was struggling under the weight of exams and essays and eagerly looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel so fondly referred to as "the Christmas hols."

The one bright spot in the end of the term came the first weekend of December, when Slytherin played Ravenclaw in the second Quidditch game of the season. Or rather, when Slytherin flattened Ravenclaw. The eagle house's crushing defeat was something of a downer for Gryffindor as well, since they never liked to see their rival win. Slytherin's victory on the pitch also had the unfortunate side effect of inflating the egos of the entire house and making them strut around the castle with their noses in the air. Sirius' brother, Regulus Black, was in particularly high spirits. His snatching of the Snitch from underneath the Ravenclaw Seeker's hands had saved the game for Slytherin, who had only been up by one hundred thirty points.

The Gryffindors didn't have much time to lament Ravenclaw's loss, however, because two days after the game, exam week was upon them. The remaining five days of class passed in a haze of late-night study sessions, hurried breakfasts and grueling test-taking, and then the Christmas holidays arrived. That Saturday, James, Lily and their friends boarded the Hogwarts Express with the majority of their classmates, bound for a fortnight of rest, relaxation and holiday revelry in their respective homes.


	13. Back to the Castle

Two weeks later, the Hogwarts Expressed steamed its way back north to Scotland, carrying a load of well-fed and well-rested students who, if they were not exactly glad about returning to school work, were at least excited to be returning to the castle. Lily Evans was no exception to this, although her reasons for excitement about being back at Hogwarts were drastically different from most of the students'. Lily was not excited about returning to the castle, per say, but she _was_ very glad to be back in the company of one particular inhabitant of the castle.

While she had enjoyed spending time with her parents, Lily had been surprised by how much she had missed the companionship of one particular tousle-haired Gryffindor, particularly in light of the fact that their friendship over the last few weeks of the fall term had been rather stunted. This was not to say that her Christmas holiday had been boring and uneventful. The Evans family certainly hadn't lacked for company. They had spent Christmas with Betsy Evans' parents, and Petunia's fiance, Vernon Dursley, had visited almost every evening. In fact, it was during one of these evening visits that Lily had had the startling realization that was the reason for her current eagerness to see her co-Head again.

She had been sitting around the front parlor with her parents, Petunia and Vernon, pretending to be listening to another one of Vernon's long-winded, abysmally boring descriptions of his latest triumph at the office, when in reality, she had been wishing for the hundredth time that James were there. Somehow Lily had known that, if James were to be taking part in this conversation (if it could even be called as much), he would find a way to make it entertaining. She had been listening silently while mentally composing a list of Vernon's flaws when the realization hit her like a charging Hippogriff. She was comparing Vernon to James, just like she had compared Ewan Forrester to him back in September. And, like Ewan and every other male of her acquaintance (with the exception of her own father and Headmaster Dumbledore), Vernon fell very short of the high standard James had somehow set in Lily's mind.

If she stopped to think about it, there was no one else whose company she preferred more. James was good-natured, unfailingly optimistic, intelligent, interested in what she had to say, not to mention extremely attractive. Hadn't she spent every day since she had returned home wishing he were there with her? There was no other explanation for it. She was harboring a massive fancy for James Potter. Why else would she be wishing so desperately that she had an owl so she could correspond with him over the holiday? Or wishing they were already back at Hogwarts so that she could see him again?

Although this revelation had initially been startling, as the holiday progressed, Lily had become more accustomed to the idea and even more eager for her return to school. She very much wanted to talk to Marlene and Mary about this, and she especially wanted to see James again. She was confident that, now that she'd finally realized what her actual feelings for him were, it wouldn't take long before they were dating. A few flirtatious comments, an extra dose of smiles, and a casual mention of the next Hogsmeade weekend on her part, and he would ask her out again. After all, hadn't he been after her for years? This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

It was with this hopeful attitude that Lily boarded the Hogwarts Express and wound her way through the crowded corridors to find Marlene and Mary. She peeped into the first compartment of the second car and was pleased to see Mary, who was the most punctual of the three, waiting for her. Sliding the door open, she flopped down on the seat beside the brunette and embraced her enthusiastically.  
"Mary! Have I got a story to tell you! Just wait until Lena gets here."

"A story? About what?" Mary asked, her curiosity piqued.

"You'll never guess," was all Lily would say. Despite Mary's pleading, she managed to distract her friend until Marlene finally arrived, breathing heavily as though she had been sprinting.

"Almost missed the train," the blonde explained, taking a seat on Mary's other side. "Somehow I managed to sleep through all three alarm clocks."

"Well I'm glad you made it," Mary said. "Lily here apparently has something very important to share with us, and she wouldn't tell me anything until you arrived."

Marlene suddenly sat up straighter and her blue eyes sparkled in anticipation of some secret about to be revealed.  
"What's happened?"

"Welllll....," Lily began, drawing out the first word as she was suddenly plagued with a bout of nervousness. "I um... sort of realized something over the holiday. About James."

Marlene's eyes widened and she grinned, asking, "You realized that all you've ever really wanted to do to the boy is snog his pants off?"

Lily's jaw dropped.  
"How did you- No! That's not- well yes I _do_ want to kiss him, but that's not- I just...," she stammered.

"Lily, it's okay," Mary said gently. "You can admit that you fancy James Potter."

"Yes, that's what I was _trying_ to say, _Lena_," Lily responded, glaring at her best friend who was doing a poor job of hiding her giggles behind her hand. "And not just because he's a highly snoggable individual, but because-" She stopped and glared again, for Marlene had now given up all pretense and burst into fit of laughter. "Mar_lene_," Lily whined, feeling her cheeks beginning to flush.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Marlene apologized, in between giggles, "It's just.. your face when you said it- I never thought I'd see the day when you admitted it-"

"What she means to say," Mary interrupted, "is that we're both very happy for you. We've always thought you and James would be an adorable couple."

"Yes we have," agreed Marlene. "And now that you've admitted the truth about your feelings for our illustrious Head Boy, the only question is what are you going to do about it?"

"Er... do I really have to do anything?" Lily asked. "Besides flirt with him, I mean."

"Oh. True," Marlene agreed, then she smirked. "I bet you're really going to look forward to patrols now, aren't you?"

Lily flushed scarlet.  
"Shut it, McKinnon."

"All that time alone, in darkened corridors, with the oh-so-snoggable Head Boy," Mary said, joining in on the good-natured teasing.

Lily glared at them both and stood up in an exaggerated pretense of offended sensibilities.  
"If this is all the quality of conversation I can expect from you two, I'm going to go find myself some better company," she said.

"Would this company's last name begin with 'P' and rhyme with 'otter'?" asked Marlene.

Lily blushed again, but answered, "Yes, actually. I need to find him anyway. We have to plan out the Hogsmeade weekends and stuff for this term."

"Hogsmeade weekends? Now that's a convenient topic of conversation," Mary teased.

"Well we really do need to discuss it," Lily defended herself, "But yeah.. I'm sort of hoping if I drop a few hints, then.."

Marlene gave her a thumbs up, and exclaimed, "Go get 'em, Lil!"

Grinning, Lily slid the compartment door open and stepped out, "See you girls later!" Sliding the door shut behind her, she headed down the corridor to find the the Marauders' compartment. After a nine minute search, the next compartment into which she peered did indeed house James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, all of whom were gathered around what looked to be a school trunk, though she couldn't see what was on it. She paused in the corridor just long enough to check her reflection in the glass and ensure that her hair, which she had worn curly today, looked all right and that her clothes were wrinkle-free, then she slid the compartment door open and poked her head inside.  
"James? Can I have a word?" she asked.

At the sound of her voice, James' head snapped up. He was so startled by her sudden appearance in his compartment that he dropped the card he was about to place on the castle on the trunk in front of him, causing the whole thing to blow up in all four boys' faces.

"Oi! Prongs! You lose," Sirius exclaimed, while Remus coughed and began waving the smoke out of his face. Before it could fill the compartment with its acrid odor, he pulled his wand from his pocket and began vanishing the streams of grey smoke billowing from the charred stack of cards.

Lily's face fell when she saw the minor chaos her arrival had caused, and she immediately apologized, "Sorry! I didn't realize you were playing."

"Oh.. No, it's.. it's all right," James said, glancing towards the door and then back at Sirius, who was gazing meaningfully at him. He was not exactly sure how to react, having been entirely unprepared for Lily's arrival at his train compartment. Over the holiday, James had come to a very different realization than had Lily. Encouraged in large part by Sirius, and by Remus and Peter to a lesser degree, he had finally admitted that he had no chance of getting his favorite redhead to date him and that, for his own sake, he ought to devote the rest of the school year to getting over her. It had been his New Year's resolution, in fact. However, he was now finding that it was much easier to follow through with this resolution when he was not standing two meters away from the objective of his unwanted affection.

"Er.. all right then," he said after a few seconds' pause, then stood and stepped over the trunk on which they'd been playing.

"I'll get the next set out and ready for you, mate," Sirius said, giving James another meaningful look. As he was currently doubtful of James' ability to actually forswear any hopes of romance with Lily, he thought it would be wise to remind his best mate to keep their little tete-a-tete short. Unfortunately, subtlety was not one of Sirius' many talents, and after his comment, Lily was left feeling very awkward about the whole scenario and wondering why it was so quickly going wrong.

Still, she remained resolutely optimistic as she stepped aside so that James could step out into the corridor with her. Rather, she stepped aside just far enough for him to be able to pass her by, but not far enough away that he could pass by without brushing against her. James, of course, did not realize this difference until he had gently knocked against her on his way out.  
"Oh, sorry," he instantly apologized.

Lily, of course, did mind in the slightest that he had bumped into her, so she smiled sweetly and assured him, "It's all right."

Fighting to keep his thoughts on the right track, he turned around to face her and asked, "Er.. everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," she responded. "I just wanted to see if we could meet sometime before the term starts, so we can plan things out properly. Just in case we need to change up the patrol schedules or something."

James returned her brilliant smile a little less certainly.  
"Oh. Yeah, whenever. I spoke to the Ravenclaws, and they all said they're good for the same rounds schedules as last term," he said. "But...er... we said all this before, you remember... In the Prefect's carriage..." He trailed off, completely confused as to why she would bring this up again.

"Yes well... I just thought we should erm.. check to make sure everything was still working smoothly," Lily said, realizing as she spoke just how lame her excuse sounded. "We do need to decide on Hogsmeade weekends for this term, though," she added, watching him carefully as she spoke.

"Erm, all right then..," he replied, thinking it was really quite unfair for her to be this pretty, standing so close to him and talking about Hogsmeade, when she was still entirely unattainable. The jarring of the train jerked him out of his pensive thoughts, and he asked, "Are you sure we need to do this now? I haven't got a writeup of the schedules on me."

Lily's face fell ever so slightly.  
"We don't have to now. I just thought we should get that bit of business out of the way before things get busy with classes again," she said, a faint note of despondency in her voice. "You can go back to your Exploding Snap, if you want." Even as she spoke, she wished fervently that he would decline and inform her that he preferred to spend the rest of the train ride in her company, because she'd forgotten what a warm, inviting shade of hazel his eyes were and how much she enjoyed just hearing his voice.

James, who was currently of the opinion that time spent alone in Lily Evan's presence was dangerous for his shaky resolve, took the rope she had just thrown him and said, "Oh. Well all right then. I'll catch you at the feast tonight, I guess? Have a good rest of the train ride, Lily."

Lily fought hard to keep her expression as bright and happy as it had been a few minutes earlier. "Sure! Thanks. Er.. you too," she said. For a moment, she stood smiling up at him, then she remembered that she was supposed to be letting him get back to his friends and she turned and walked down the corridor while James stepped back inside his train compartment.

"What did she want?" Sirius asked as soon as the door slid shut behind him.

James shrugged.  
"Haven't the foggiest."

"Well, what did she say?" asked Remus curiously.

"She asked me about patrols and Hogsmeade weekends.. which is what we've already gone over in our first ever meeting."

Peter shook his head and chimed in, "Weird. Girls are mental. Always forgetting things."

Privately, Remus thought it would be uncharacteristic of Lily, who was an organized and responsible young woman, to forget something like this, but he was not sure he ought to go pointing this out, so he kept silent.

"Pretty much, Pete," Sirius agreed, then looked over at James. "Forget Evans. It's your resolution, remember?" He gestured towards the Exploding Snap cards he had already dealt out and asked, "Ready for me to whoop your arse again?"

James climbed back into his seat and answered, "Yeah. To be fair, I got distracted last round. We're playing for _real_ now."

"Uh huh," was all Sirius said as all four boys resumed play.

Meanwhile, Lily had now reached her compartment and stepped inside to be greeted with anxiously curious expressions on Marlene and Mary's faces.  
"How'd it go?" Marlene asked.

Lily sighed and slumped against her seat.  
"No such luck."

"What?" Mary exclaimed.

"I don't believe that for a second. What happened?" Marlene asked.

"He hardly even wanted to talk to me," Lily explained. "Apparently his game of Exploding Snap was more important."

"Were his mates there?" queried Mary.

"Yeah. All four of them were in the compartment playing."

"Wait, you didnt ask _him_ out, did you?" Mary asked.

"No!" Lily exclaimed. "I wouldn't- I don't _do_ that."

"Okay, good," said Mary, relieved. "Cos if you asked him out and he turned you down, I would definitely have to go and have a word with him."

"Honestly," Marlene agreed.

Lily shook her head and sighed dejectedly.  
"I didn't expect him to, you know, ask me out right away or anything, but.. it's like he didn't even want to talk to me."

Marlene frowned a moment, searching for an explanation for this behavior.  
"Well.. Maybe he's tired, or something," she suggested. "Or hungry. You know how cranky boys can get when they havent eaten.."

"I guess..," Lily responded, lapsing into despondent silence.

"Sit with him at the feast, or something!" Mary suggested, and Lily considered this suggestion.

"He did say 'see you at the feast tonight'," she mused and reached a decision seconds later. "Yeah! I will." Sitting up a bit straighter, she glanced between her two friends and asked, "What else can I do, though?" She bit her lip anxiously as a new thought occurred to her. "He still.. _likes_ me, right?"

Marlene fought the urge to laugh at the preposterous nature of this question.  
"Oh, Lily. The boy has been hung up on you since he realized you were a girl. He wouldn't ditch you like that."

"Then why would he-" Lily began, but she stopped and shook her head. "Maybe he was just being fussy." Determined to remain optimistic, she added, "It's not like I could have expected the first words out of his mouth to be, 'Hey Lily, go out with me?'"

"Exactly," Mary agreed, smiling encouragingly. "Cos I mean, it's been weeks. And you didn't write him or anything? Just give him a bit to warm up."

"You're right," Lily said, returning the smile. "So anyway! What's new with you two?"

With that, the girls' conversation turned to lighter topics, and before any of them knew it, the Hogwarts Express was easing to a stop at Hogsmeade Station, and they were descending onto the platform amid a throng of excited students. An hour later, once all the students had had the chance to unpack their trunks and settle into their dormitories, they trooped downstairs to the Great Hall for a sumptuous feast to mark the beginning of the winter term. Lily accompanied Mary and Marlene into the Great Hall but, as they had discussed earlier on the train, she parted ways with them when they reached the Gryffindor table. Mary and Marlene took seats with the other Gryffindor seventh year girls, while Lily continued on down the table to sit with the Marauders.

To her delight, the seat to James' left was still open, as Sirius was on his right and Remus and Peter were seated across from the black-haired duo. Taking a deep breath and mustering her courage, Lily fixed a bright smile on her face and settled herself gracefully into the open seat beside James.

"Hullo!" she greeted him. "How'd you fare with your next game of Exploding Snap?"

James looked up from his plate of ham and potatoes and gave her a half-smile, "Hm? Oh, I lost."

Sirius grinned. "Too right, you did. I've told you before, Prongs, that I am an unstoppable force!" he said. From his seat across the table, Peter eyed Lily, wondering why she had chosen to sit with them when James wasn't even flirting with her.

"Oh. Well, if you ever feel like winning, you can always play me. I'm rubbish at it," Lily told James, oblivious to Peter's stare. Reaching forward, she began serving herself a plate of potatoes, ham and asparagus.

James' only response was to nod and reach for his pumpkin juice. There was an uncomfortable beat of silence, and then Remus piped in, attempting to cover for James' current lack of social skills.

"So, did you have a good holiday, Lily?"

She looked across the table at him and answered, "I did. Not very eventful, though. What about you lot?"

Again, the boys' responses were atypical. Peter accidentally sucked a bit of tea down the wrong way and broke into violent coughing. James shrugged again, and Sirius' grin faltered. Remus reached over and thumped Peter on the back to clear his lungs, then said carefully, "Wales was awfully gloomy. Really cold weather, you know. And I had a cold on Christmas and utterly sucked the happiness out of the group."

"Yeah, he did," Sirius continued, grateful for Remus' tact. "Bloody Moony passed it all to the rest of us, and James here has only just got his voice back, poor sap."

Lily glanced nervously sideways at James, who was silently grateful that his friends were covering for him. Although all four boys already knew the reason for his dour mood, he did not yet feel like sharing this with anyone else in the castle.

"You were sick on Christmas? That's awful!" Lily said, looking back at James.

"Yeah..," he responded sluggishly. "Glad you had a good one, though."

Lily shrugged.

"I'm glad to be back at Hogwarts, though. Home is nice, but I always miss my friends while I'm gone," she said, flashing him a brilliant smile while she pronounced the last bit.

This smile was entirely lost on James as he turned back to his food, wondering why Lily was laying it on so thick today.

It was Remus who, once again, came to her rescue. "Oh, I agree, completely," he said. "I would have gone stir-crazy without this lot here all holiday."

"Aw, Moony, you're so sweet," Sirius cooed, earning himself a laugh from Lily.

"Do you lot behave as poorly as you do at Hogwarts when you're guests in someone else's home?" she asked, envisioning the Potter household being turned upside down by all four boys unleashed upon it.

"Nah, we were on our best behavior at James'," Peter assured her. "He'd have _killed_ us if we were goofing off at-" But whatever he had been about to say was cut off as Sirius kicked him under the table.

James shot Sirius another grateful look for preventing Peter from revealing what had really gone on at his house over the holidays. He took another bite, chewed, swallowed, and said, "Yeah, it was good. Everyone was grand."

Silence descended on the group for a few moments as Lily tried to think of something else to say. In the end, she settled for the over-done conversation starter of, "So erm.. did you lot get anything good for Christmas?"

Sirius perked up at the mention of gifts. "I got James a pair of Chaser bracers!" he said, referring to the wrist-guard paddings that all Chasers had to wear.

Lily, whose Quidditch knowledge was minimal, had no idea what Sirius was talking about. She quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Chaser what?"

But Sirius continued with his list of gifts, "And I got Re-moose here a massive thing of toffee! Peter got a new set of gobstones! And I got _me_ a motorbike!"

Since Sirius did not plan to explain his earlier comment, James took it upon himself to mutter in an undertone to the redhead beside him, "Wrist bracers. For Quidditch."

Lily leaned in a bit more than necessary to hear what he was muttering to her, then nodded and beamed gratefully up at him, "Oh. Got it." Then her attention was caught by the last item on Sirius' list. "You got yourself a _motorbike_?!" she exclaimed. "Did you bring it to Hogwarts?" She was fairly certain that objects like that were not allowed on the castle grounds.

Sirius rolled his eyes at what he considered to be a typical female question. Whether or not it was allowed at school was so obviously beside the point. "No, of course not. But I _have_ got one, now."

"Do you even know how to drive one?" she queried, still skeptical.

Sirius brushed off her question with a wave of his hand. "Everything's eventual, Red."

"Just warn me before you get behind the wheel, so I can make sure to stay off the roads," Lily replied, rolling her eyes at his male bravado.

Sirius glanced across the table at Remus and smirked, "_Roads_."

His comment was ignored by Lily, who turned back to James and asked, "What about you? Any favorite gifts?"

"Er... No, not really. I didnt ask for anything this year," he responded.

"You.. didn't?" she asked, unable to mask the surprise in her expression. "Why ever not?"

"I don't want anything. Or need anything," he responded dully, his attention still focused on his supper.

Lily was once again silent, taken aback by the morose attitude of the usually optimistic Head Boy. She glanced across the table at Remus again, unsure how to proceed.

"Well, I think that's a good philosophy, Prongs," the sandy-haired boy said, smiling encouragingly at both of them.

"I suppose so..," Lily agreed warily.

Before she could say anything more, Remus changed the subject, asking, "And what about you, Lily?"

"Me? Well... let's see," she replied. "Mum and Dad got me the latest few Beatles albums. And I got this adorable new pair of boots. And a brand new pair of Jordache jeans!" She realized belatedly that her male, wizarding audience was unlikely to recognize any of these items, so she cut her list short.

However, Peter recognized at least one of the items she had named. He smiled and said, "That's cool. I like the Beatles."

The stilted conversation was briefly interrupted as the five tables in the Great Hall suddenly wiped themselves clean of their dinner offerings and presented the students with their dessert. Lily's face lit up in a smile at the plates of treacle tart that now lined the center of the table.

"Ohhh this is one of my favorites!" she exclaimed, helping herself to a serving. "You do?" she asked Peter, resuming their earlier discussion. "D'you have any of their albums? I've only got the last three."

"Rubber Soul is my favorite," the blond boy replied. "Prongs lent it to me last summer."

Meanwhile, James' reaction to the dessert choice was vastly different. He looked down at the plate of treacle tart in front of him and suddenly felt ill.

"Ick, I've head enough of this, eh James?" Sirius said, looking down at his dessert and giving his friend a little nudge.

James managed a very small smile and said quietly, "Enough to last a lifetime, mate."

Deciding that a bit of distraction was in order, Sirius asked, "So have you been planning out training for this week?" His trick succeeded, and both boys were soon immersed in the discussion of their mutually favorite topic.

By this point Lily had noticed that James was not paying her nearly as close attention as he usually did. She was not exactly pleased that he had become engrossed in conversation with Sirius, but as she didn't know exactly how to contribute to their Quidditch discussion, she settled for talking to Remus and Peter. Addressing the latter, she said, "I don't know if I could pick a favorite, but Rubber Soul is rad."

Remus busied himself by meticulously selecting one of the candied apples that were arranged artfully on a tray.

"You don't like treacle tart?" Lily asked, curiously.

"Eh?" Remus asked. "Oh.. er, not my favorite, no," he said, glancing at the offending dish. "Ah!" he said triumphantly, selecting a shining apple. "Perfect." He dropped it on his plate and began to cut it into pieces with his knife.

Peter laughed. "You're the only person I have ever met who _cuts_ a candy apple!" He took a piece of chocolate cake, also giving the treacle tart a look of reproach.

Lily laughed along, though found herself again distracted as she attempted to listen in on James and Sirius' conversation. It occurred to her that she might actually have something to offer, and her bright demeanor returned.  
"So, James," she said, shifting slightly in her seat to speak to him, "have the Catapults made any progress in their quest for the League Trophy?"

James turned and blinked, a smile lightening his features. "Yeah," he answered, "if you call losing to Puddlemere United 'making progress'."

"A scandal!" Sirius interjected.

Lily smiled. "I take it you're a fan, as well?" she asked, amused.

Sirius nodded swiftly. "Puddlemere United got lucky!" he explained. "The seeker's damn curly hair snagged the snitch as she was flying past! She _missed_!"

Lily was not entirely sure what to say to this pronouncement. "Well.. That sucks. Better luck next game?"

"A total snitchnip," agreed James, pounding a fist on the table. "I mean, they _need_ to set regulations on women's hair in the matches."

"Well, doesnt a snitchnip mean it's been caught by another player other than the seeker?" asked Remus from across the table.

Sirius waved his hand as if to brush away Remus' proffered explanation. "But that's not the _point_. Gretchen Murdoch's _hair_ is not a member of Puddlemere United."

Lily was very quickly being drowned in a flood of Quidditch terminology. Though she had lived the past few years of her life in the Wizarding World, it was difficult to assimilate all the words for fouls and gear. "Why don't they just say that female players have to wear a ponytail or something?" she asked, offering a solution. "Wouldn't they want to anyway? I can't imagine you can fly well with your hair blowing all over your face. Although…" she trailed off, grinning in Sirius' direction. Sirius shook his hair out of his eyes and grinned back at Lily.

"And," Remus continued, "you have to admit there had been foul play on both sides during that match. I mean, yeah, it was eight hours long, but fair's fair."

The boys were very quickly getting sucked into an extremely heated debate about the merits of fouling, and James was scarcely paying Lily much attention at all.

"Flannery hadn't even gotten close to the snitch. He was _miles_ behind Murdoch!" she heard Remus exclaim plaintively as she once again tried to keep up with the comments flying back and forth between them.

"You didn't see it, though!" James interjected, defending his favorite team.

"Neither did you, mate," Remus countered.

"Couldn't, really, cos of where I _was_ during the match," James said pointedly.

There was a beat of awkward silence, and all the boys looked at James.

"Yes, well," Remus said uncomfortably.

"Listening to the wireless and yelling at the thing wouldn't have changed a bit, mate. Can't very well coach from your front parlor," said Sirius, a hint of gentleness in his tone.

James sighed. "I know. But the season was so promising!"

While the boys had been engrossed in their lively Quidditch discussion and Lily had been busy trying to make herself a part of it, another contender for the Gryffindor Captain's attention had been sauntering her way down the aisle beside the Gryffindor table. Leslie Olcott paused on her way out of the Great Hall, stopped just behind James' right shoulder, and jumped into the conversation.

"Whose season? Surely you're not lamenting Gryffindor's performance so far," she asked

James looked up, startled to find Leslie standing so close to him, and answered, "What? No! The Caerphilly Catapults."

"Yeah, and the way they trounced those bloody Harpies... I thought the thing was in the bag, for sure," said Sirius, continuing with their conversation as though Leslie had never arrived.

"Well, there's still a bit of time, you know," James replied. "As long as the Catapults are sure to take down those damn Ballycastle Bats next month, we'll have it."

Leslie struck what she assumed to be an alluring pose and beamed down at James, "I didn't know you were a Catapults fan, James."

James looked up again, surprised to find that Leslie was still hanging around. He was even more surprised to notice, when he turned around, that she was leaning towards him, which meant that her ample cleavage was now exactly at eye level.

"Oh! Er.. yes!" he responded somewhat dazedly, while Sirius snickered at his reaction. "Have been as long as I've known Quidditch."

Sirius was not the only one to have noticed where James' gaze had gone. Leslie smiled, proud of herself for having so quickly and effectively captured his attention.

"Really? You know I've always like the Catapults myself. Their Keeper is fantastic!" she said. This was rather a stretch, as she had only ever heard a Catapults match in the background, while her father was listening to the broadcast on the family's wireless, but she had no intention of admitting this to anyone present.

As Leslie made this pronouncement, Lily was seized with a sudden urge to go and research everything there was to know about the Caerphilly Catapults, just so that she would have something to contribute to future conversations like this one. Since she could not dart off to the library right this minute, she settled for stabbing roughly at her tart with her fork, her mood having turned very sour indeed. She did not appreciate Leslie's presence, especially in light of James' odd refusal to pay Lily any attention tonight, and she especially did not appreciate the blonde's simpering, preening demeanor or the sickly sweet way she pronounced James' name.

James, however, had no such qualms about bragging on the Catapults with a fellow fan. "Definitely," he said, grinning, "I mean, the only person who could do a better job is _maybe_ Sawyer Pritchett, and that's a _maybe_."

Leslie had no idea who Sawyer Pritchett was, but she snorted derisively nonetheless and agreed with James' opinion, "No way."

At this point, Lily could not help herself. Looking up from her dessert, she raised an eyebrow and asked sardonically, "Do you even know the Catapults' Keeper's name, Olcott?"

"Well I.. I-," the other girl blustered, "Why does his name matter? All I need to know is he's the best Keeper in the league."

James glanced over at Lily and asked, "Do you?"

"_No_. But that's not the _point_, is it?" she answered, glaring at him. Ugh. Boys were so incredibly dense sometimes. Couldn't he see that Leslie was just saying what she thought he wanted to hear?

He merely raised his eyebrows in response and, in that moment, Lily wished dearly that she _did_ know the name of the Keeper in question so that she could simultaneously impress James and make Leslie look bad in comparison.

"Oh Lily! You're hilarious!" the blonde tittered nervously.

James grinned and turned back to her to ask, "Did you see last year's final?"

As she was ignored, once again, in favor of Leslie Olcott, Lily returned her attention to her tart. Deciding she could not stand another moment of this, she hurried to finish off her slice so that she could leave the table.

Meanwhile, Leslie decided to continue with her little charade. "Oh no, I didn't. But my dad 'n' I listened to it on the wireless."

"Ah, that's too bad," James answered, quickly losing interest.

"It sounded like it was an exciting game though! Were you there?" she asked, desperate to retain his attention.

James grinned again. "Wish I had been, but it was either the Arrows or the Wanderers, neither of which I care enough about to shell out gold for."

"Oh.. yeah," was all Leslie could think to reply.

Sirius tapped James on the shoulder, eager to continue their earlier discussion. "But the match on the wireless! Me and Moony thought you were going to do your head in when Gemma Bladgely got called for flacking."

"I was terrified," Remus agreed solemnly.

Peter frowned as he tried to remember the moment in question. "I think I had fallen asleep by then," he said.

Remus laughed, remembering this moment vividly. "Right into your pudding, yeah."

Lily, who had now finished her dessert, stood up and addressed the group, "I've got to be off. Promised Marlene and Mary we could all show off our Christmas haul tonight."

"See you, Lily," Remus said, smiling at the redhead, and Peter echoed with a, "See you tomorrow, Evans!"

To her great disappointment, James' only response was to glance briefly at her and say, "Bye," before going back to discussing Quidditch with Sirius.

Resisting the urge to sigh or, worse, cry from disappointment, Lily bid good-bye to Remus, waved to Peter, then turned and walked dejectedly towards the doors of the Great Hall on her way back to Gryffindor Tower. Leslie managed to stick around a couple minutes longer than her rival, but she too soon bored of the constant Quidditch talk. With an exaggerated yawn, she said, "I think it's bed time for me. See you boys later." Standing, she gave James a simpering smile and all but ignored the other boys bidding her goodnight.

James' response to Leslie was identical to the one he had given Lily, however, and the blonde flounced away just as disappointed as the redhead had been.

As soon as he was certain Leslie was out of earshot, Sirius leaned toward James and said, "Mate, I think that chit is scheming on you.."

"Who? Olcott?" James asked, glancing over his shoulder at Leslie's retreating figure. "Merlin, I hope not." She might have been pleasant enough for idle chatting, but he could certainly never imagine himself dating her.

"You haven't realized by now?" Remus asked dryly, "Why do you think she keeps coming over here to talk to you?"

James looked rather taken aback by this question. "Well, I mean, I haven't- I haven't given her any signals or anything, have I?"

"I don't _think_ so," Peter answered, barely concealing a smirk, "But she _did_ let you look down her shirt."

"And you do _talk_ to her. Apparently that's enough to set her giggling," Sirius added. Then he grinned as an idea occurred to him, "Hey! You know.. maybe you ought to ask her out. She's pretty foxy. Might get you over Evans real quickly."

James looked mildly apprehensive at this suggestion. "Yeah.. but she's.. you know," he said and tapped his temple.

"Empty?" Remus offered.

Sirius smirked and mimicked his best mate. "Yeah, but she's got.. you know..," he pointed out and tapped his chest.

Remus grinned wryly, "Her cups runneth over."

At this comment, Peter nearly choked on his last bite of treacle tart. James merely rolled his eyes and said, "I'm _fine_. Evans was over here for thirty minutes, and I did _fine._ I told you lot, I'll be fine. I'm getting over it."

"All right," Sirius said, shrugging and taking another swig of pumpkin juice. "I just don't want you forswearing all birds just 'cause you've sworn off one."

"Speaking of fine," Remus added, "How are you doing with.. you know?"

James sighed. "It's just weird. Weird how I'm not getting any more letters, and things. Weird how she won't be at graduation."

**"**Maybe your da will write to you now," Peter suggested.

Sirius dropped his voice so that only the four lads could hear him, and said, "It's been a rough bit, Prongs. But you'll pull through, and everyone here knows it."

Remus nodded and offered an encouraging smile, "Anything you need. Any time."

Finding that his throat was getting a bit scratchy, James said, "Er, yeah. Thanks. Let's.. er.. head up? If you are all finished." As much as he appreciated the encouragement and support of his friends, right now he merely wanted to forget everything that had happened over the holiday.

"Ready!" Peter responded, scarfing down his last bite of tart and jumping to his feet.

Remus pocketed the rest of his candied apple and stood as well. "Sure," he said.

As the four boys made their way back to their dormitory, James commented sarcastically, "Well at least we can _all_ look forward to N.E.W.T. Transfiguration tomorrow. Did any of you finish the essay?"

"Oh _no_!" Peter moaned. Evidently he had completely forgotten about their holiday assignment.

Remus sighed and said, "Nearly. Got distracted, what with all that happened."

"Guess it's a good thing we left the feast early then," James said.

"Wait, did you finish yours, Prongs?" Sirius asked.

"Er.. yeah," James replied. "I sort of.. needed something to do after.." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, but the other three immediately understood what he meant and nodded in understanding. "Which means I'm free to help you out, Padfoot," he added, mustering another half-smile.

"Excellent!" Sirius responded. "Maybe we'll finish in time for me to beat you at another game of Exploding Snap."

"You never know," James warned him as they reached the base of the steps leading to Gryffindor Tower. "I might surprise you one day."

Sirius' response was to scoff at this suggestion, and the boys continued their banter until they reached their dormitory room, where they were forced to pay homage to their homework. James managed to keep his spirits buoyed by devoting his full attention to revising his own essay and helping his friends write theirs. They did not, however, finish in time for another Exploding Snap match. By the time all four essays had been written, their authors were too exhausted to do anything but fall into bed.


	14. Dashed Hopes

It was not for nothing that Sirius had won his reputation as a ladies man. He had long since learned to recognize when a girl was interested in a bloke, and he had been correct in yesterday's post-dinner assessment of Leslie Olcott's intentions towards his best mate. Leslie most certainly did have designs upon James and had for months now. Although at the end of last term, she had begun to despair of ever getting him to notice her, last night's conversation had been just the encouragement she needed, for Leslie had discovered a bit of common ground between them. She had only been pretending the night before when she had acted like a Catapults fan. In reality, she had grown up supporting Pride of Portree. In fact, her oldest brother currently played for Portree. He was, of course, merely on their reserves list, but Leslie did not made a habit of emphasizing this fact when she talked about him.

And talk about him she did. Over the next two weeks, Leslie began to turn up more frequently at James' side, wanting to share news from her brother or discuss some other aspect of the sport with which they were both obsessed. For his part, James soon found that he enjoyed these conversations. Usually, he only had Sirius to get into deep, complex Quidditch discussions with. Discussing the sport with Leslie was a novel experience, and though he could not endorse her choice of favorite team, he did enjoy the good-natured debates they held over which was truly the stronger, better Quidditch dynasty. As James and Leslie began building a friendship, his best mates watched in varying degrees of amusement and enthusiasm. Remus was the least happy about this development, as part of him still thought that Lily would make an ideal partner for James. Peter was still in awe of Leslie's rather flamboyantly pretty looks and thought Prongs had all the luck. In Sirius' opinion, Leslie Olcott was exactly the sort of rebound girl that James needed to himself over that Evans chit once and for all.

The only person in James' circle of friends who was not happy about his budding friendship with the Hufflepuff girl was Lily. It infuriated her to no end that Leslie always seemed to turn up and distract James from whatever conversation they had been enjoying. She couldn't understand why he was so willing to listen to the blonde prattle on and on about her supposedly famous brother. Didn't he have Sirius to talk Quidditch with? Why did he suddenly have to find a new fellow enthusiast in the person of an extremely giggly and busty blonde? The Gryffindor Common Room became something of a safe haven in her mind, as she knew that Leslie could not infiltrate it. Her blonde rival had begun to turn up around seemingly every corner in the castle corridors; she had even occasionally sat with James at meal times.

But even the common room, Lily was finding, was not such a safe haven, for there James seemed to prefer his mates' company to hers. Plan Get-a-Date-With-Potter was not going as well as she first thought it would. She was beginning to fear that James had lost interest in her and, worse, that he was now becoming interested in Leslie Olcott. So, the Get-a-Date plan had morphed into the Win-Back-James'-Affections plan. Lily Evans was a particularly stubborn young woman. If Leslie Olcott thought she could steal James away easily, then she had another thought coming.

The one bright spot in Lily's weekly schedule was Potions class. Since the beginning of the term, they had been brewing a different potion nearly every class period, which meant that she and James had renewed their partnership that had begun back in October with the Veritaserum exercise. The fact that they were brewing so many potions in preparation for their N.E.W.T. meant that, three times a week, Lily was able to spend a full ninety-minutes in close proximity to her crush. In accordance with her Win-Back-James'-Affections plan, she took advantage of this proximity at every opportunity, finding ways to brush "accidentally" against his arm while chopping ingredients or to lean dangerously close to him over his shoulder "so that she could read the instructions better."

Unfortunately, these little bouts of flirtation were not having their intended effect on the Head Boy, who privately considered all of this flirting to be some cruel twist of fate. It was just his luck that he should spend nearly all of last term trying to win her over, only to be told once and for all that she would never have him. And then, as if to add insult to injury, Lily seemed to have decided to continue a flirtation with him, despite her refusal to date him. James was finding it very difficult to hold to his New Year's resolution when Lily insisted on flirting so outrageously with him. Sometimes it seemed that the more determined he was to ignore her attempts at flirtation, the harder she tried to get him to respond. If he did not know better, he would have attributed this to mere spitefulness. As it was, he was merely confused.

Potions class today had been particularly difficult. He had been distracted the entire time by his early discovery that she had decided to wear perfume today and had spent the class period trying to resist the powerful allure of the light, floral scent. Then, at the end of class, Lily had actually laid her hand on top of his when they had both reached for their ladle. She claimed it had been accidental, but the fact that she had left her hand there a full three seconds made James doubt the veracity of her claim. Whatever her intentions had been, her action had left James flustered and hopelessly confused. So much so that, as they walked down the crowded corridor together on their way back from the dungeons, he could not think of a single thing to say. When she finally broke the silence, he thanked his lucky stars that she had found something to talk about.

"You know, I really do think he's warming up to you," she said. "I swear he smiled at you twice today."

"Huh? Oh, Slughorn," he said, looking down at her. "Yeah. Guess I have you to thank. So.. thanks."

Lily smiled brightly back at him and responded warmly, "Anything for you."

James' brows contracted slightly. He was, once again, at a loss for words.

Lest they descend into silence again, Lily quickly spoke up, "I was wondering.. d'you think we could work on that Transfiguration essay together? I _think_ I get the concept, but my grasp on it is kind of shaky."

"Oh, yeah, sure," he answered. "I've got training until seven, though."

Undeterred, she suggested, "We can work on it after dinner, if that's easier for you."

"Yeah that'll probably be fine," James said, wondering why he was turning out to be such a masochist that he would willingly sign himself up for another several hours at her side.

Lily, on the other hand, found she could not stop smiling, now that she had ensured that she would be able to spend practically the entire evening with James. Before she could say anything further, one of the Gryffindor sixth year girls that they had just passed in the corridor stepped forward.

"Hey, James," she said, "I just wanted to tell you that I am so, so sorry about your mother." Reaching forward, she enveloped him in a brief hug and added, "Let me know if you need to talk about it."

He returned the hug and said quietly, "Thanks, Emily."

"My mum died before I got to Hogwarts in first year," Emily, explained. "I know you you feel." She hugged him once more, then turned to rejoin her friends. "I'll see you around."

Lily, who had stopped dead in her tracks when the brunette had first mentioned James' mum, was now watching him with wide eyes. Suddenly, his odd behavior over the past couple of weeks made perfect sense.

"James?" she asked in a small voice, "Is that.. you mean your mum.." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

He looked over at her, his lips pursed slightly for a moment, and answered simply, "Yeah."

Finding that her eyes were prickling and her throat felt tight, she continued, "And.. it happened.. over Christmas?"

"Yeah," was all he could manage to say for a moment. After a pause, he added, "Something was wrong, and we didn't realize it. She was out in her greenhouse."

Lily leaned against the wall behind her, listening to him intently as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that the smiling woman who had made such a vivid, if brief, impression on her, was no longer alive.

"Oh.. what happened?" she asked, then added quickly, "You don't have to tell me, if it's hard to talk about still."

"Well, I don't know what happened," James answered honestly, shrugging his shoulders. He felt rather awkward about having this discussion in the middle of the hallway, especially since it was a topic he did not relish discussing with anyone. "Something's been a bit off this entire term. She kept calling me by the wrong name, and misspelling things in her letters. I guess she was sick or something. I don't know. She is- _was_ -an herbalist, you know."

Lily offered him an encouraging little smile and said, "Yeah. I remember you telling me that."

"Can we walk, still?" he asked, gesturing towards the hallway.

"What? Oh. Yeah sure," she answered, falling into step beside him again.

James took a breath and then continued, "I found her in the greenhouse."

Lily clapped both hands over her mouth and stared up at him with wide, filmy green eyes, "Oh _James_.." She could not even begin to imagine what a terrible experience that must have been for him.

But he simply shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "It would have happened eventually. She and my Da are both old," he said. "Just didn't expect it, that's all."

"Still, that's terrible. And over Christmas," she said.

"Yeah. I guess," he commented vaguely, wishing very much that they would not have to continue discussing this. The reason he hadn't told Lily in the first place was that he knew some girls liked to spend hours rehashing memories and discussing their feelings. While James' feelings concerning his mother's death were certainly very deep, he was not the sort to dwell on unpleasant feelings forever, much less discuss them endlessly with his friends.

"Is your Da all right?" Lily asked.

"I dunno," he responded, and fell into silence once more, wondering if he or his Da were ever going to be all right.

Lily turned her head to study him closely, debating whether or not she was brave enough to hug him just like Emily had earlier. In the end, her compassion for his obvious, if-unspoken, sorrow overcame her hesitation to cross a boundary that may or may not exist between them. Stepping closer to him, she reached up to slip an arm around his shoulders (or as close to his shoulders as she could reach) and gave him a brief side hug.

"I'm sorry, James," she said simply, unsure what else to say to comfort him.

He was quiet for several long moments, fighting the twin sensations of comfort and agony that her embrace wrought upon him. How he wished he could simply throw his arms around her and hold her close! But he knew any advances of this sort would not go over well, so he forced his arms to remain at his sides and merely replied, "Thanks."

Lily dropped her arm rather reluctantly back to her side, having found that she enjoyed the closeness caused by having it placed around James' shoulders.

"If there's anything I can do, ever, just let me know," she said, smiling up at him with gentle, jade green eyes.

This time, James managed to return her smile. "All right. Thanks, Evans," he said, nodding towards the left-hand corridor they had just reached. "I'm headed this way. I'll see you."

Her face fell ever-so-slightly as she wished, again, that he would go back to calling her "Lily" all the time. "Oh.. okay," she responded, "You're not going to lunch?"

He shook his head.

"I'm not hungry at the moment. Going to meet with my mates."

"Okay," she said and began to turn away when she remembered something she had wanted to ask him. "Hey, are you going to watch the Quidditch match tomorrow?"

"Gotta size up the competition, right?" he answered.

"Exactly!" Lily agreed, then flashed him an alluring smile and requested, "Save me a seat?"

He nodded and answered, "If you want."

A bright smile blossomed once more on her lips as she said, "Excellent. Well I'm off to lunch. See you later!"

"See you," James called after her, shoving his hands in his pockets again. Then he headed off down the corridor to meet Sirius and the lads, feeling oddly lighter than he had in days.

The next morning, Lily awoke feeling particularly excited about the upcoming Quidditch match. Neither Mary nor Marlene cared to watch a match if Gryffindor was not playing, so they were still in bed. Normally, Lily would have slept late right along with them, but she had a vested interest in watching this match. If Leslie Olcott could ingratiate herself with James by becoming his new little Quidditch buddy, then Lily could too. Plus, watching the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw match meant at least an hour spent at James' side, sitting in as close proximity to him as polite society would allow. For the stands, of course, had benches and not individual seats. If Lily had her way, by the end of the match, James would have forgotten all about Leslie Olcott.

And so, after a hurried breakfast and an extra ten minutes spent primping in front of the mirror, Lily arrived at the foot of the stands just ten minutes before the match was set to begin, wearing a navy blue sweater to show her support for Ravenclaw. Peering upwards and shading her eyes with her hand, she searched the crowd for James and finally spotted him halfway up the stands. Grinning in anticipation, she climbed the nearest staircase until she reached his row.

"Thanks again for saving a seat for me," she said, beaming happily at him as she plopped into the space on the bench beside him.

James smiled at her. "Sure thing, kid," he said smoothly, turning toward the pitch and wondering how on earth he was supposed to concentrate on the match when there was someone like Lily Evans in very close proximity. He had, in fact, been saving that seat for Sirius, as he had not taken her seriously the previous day when she asked him to.

"So! Who are you rooting for today?" Lily asked in a chipper voice, looking eagerly at him as he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, anticipation written all over him.

Lily giggled. "You're in the stands instead of on a broom, and yet you're rooting for Gryffindor to win?"

"At least I'm consistent," James replied, and it wasn't until the words were out of his mouth that he realized the tinge of bitterness that colored them. "I've got to look out for our best interests, Evans," he said, trying to buoy his tone.

Lily's brow furrowed. "How come I'm back to being 'Evans' again?" He had been doing this for the past two weeks—this calling her 'Evans' despite the fact they were on first-name basis—and she had had just about enough of it.

"Hm?" asked James. "Oh, I didn't notice I was doing it." This, of course, was a downright lie. James had been fully aware that he'd been addressing the girl by her surname, but he had his reasons. It would be easier for him to distance himself from the girl if he mentally made a distinction of her being out of reach.

"Oh.. well.. you have" Lily supplied lamely, feeling stupid.

James nudged her. "I'll make sure I avoid it in the future, _Lily_," he said, hoisting a smile onto his face.

Lily giggled again, nervously. "I appreciate it, _James_," she said, leaning into him more than was necessary.

James blinked, and then jumped as someone gave a sharp tug on the back of his sweater.

"Oi, Potter!" cried the cheerfully disgruntled voice of Sirius Black. "Thought you were saving me a seat!"

"Whoops! Sorry, Black," Lily said, throwing a gleaming glance at James, who shifted somewhat uncomfortably, gritting his teeth in a sort of apologetic grin when he looked at his friend.

Perhaps fortunately, Lily missed this look. "You seem to be in high demand today, Mr. Potter." She flashed her white, even teeth, and turned back to Sirius, not seeing the other boys that so often followed. "Are the others coming, too?" She rather hoped James would not ask that she move. On a day like this, with such a golden opportunity to make progress in this relationship, she would be hard-pressed to forfeit her seat.

"Remus is ill and Peter's over there," Sirius explained, pointing.

James checked his watch, certain the match would be sure to start any moment, and determined to avoid whatever disgusted look Sirius might throw his way. He had given up after all, and had asked his mates to hold him accountable to his decision. And yet, as his face flushed with the chagrin he hoped was interpreted as excitement, he couldn't stomach the idea of ignoring her. He'd get hell from Sirius later, that was for sure. But for now, he would sit at a polite distance and watch the match. He couldn't be faulted for that, of course.

As if on cue, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw teams trooped out onto the pitch to a storm of applause. The level of excitement, though already high, spiked as the teams moved into formation. Within moments, the whistle blew and the teams soared into the air. One of Ravenclaw chasers snatched it out of the air, and the action was on. The crowd cheered like a many-headed entity as the Quaffle quickly changed possession.

"Hah!" cried Sirius as the Hufflepuff chaser threw the Quaffle at the goal hoop. "Did you see that block? Good on you, Fredericks!"

Having only just truly begun paying attention to the game, Lily could not identify any of the fast-moving blurs on the field. But she was determined to try, and to not be left out of the conversation this time.

"Oh, hell!" shouted Sirius. "Look! The snitch!" he pointed toward a golden glimmer near the center line.

James groaned. "It can't be over this quickly!"

"That would be some sort of record, wouldn't it?"Lily asked. "A three minute match?"

Sirius leaned down between James and Lily. "Nah, that's a League record. And it's gone now, anyway."

Ravenclaw scored, and Sirius leapt to his feet, clapping loudly. James followed suit.

Lily raised her eyebrows. She hadn't ever seen the other boys cheer for anyone other than their own house. "Ravenclaw?" she asked of the pair of them.

Sirius grinned. "I'm kind of seeing Sarah MacElroy, at the moment. She'd be a bit put out with me if I didn't." He was referring to the Ravenclaw chaser who had managed to score. She was a tall girl with thick, shiny hair and a sharp jaw line, and the only girl on the team.

Lily turned to look back at the pitch, searching for the girl. "Oho! _Really_ now? Since when?"

Sirius winked. "Yesterday morning," he replied, and James laughed before turning eagerly back to the match.

Lily rolled her eyes, and once more leaned over to James, brushing her hair back from her face with her fingers. "And how long do we expect this one to last?" she asked, eyes shining.

James looked down at his wristwatch. "Eh, at least eight minutes more," he said, and was immediately shoved from behind by a laughing Sirius.

"Can't really blame you though, Sirius," Lily said, laughing along. "I imagine it would be quite exciting to date a Quidditch player," she cast a glance at James as she said it, hoping to catch his eye and somehow convey her meaning to him without having to spell it out. No such luck. "Though, really, couldn't you have picked a Gryffindor?"

James was about to add something, but leapt to his feet, cheering as Ravenclaw scored yet another goal.

Sirius waved his hand. "All this house loyalty. Jealous, are you, Red?"

"Of who? MacElroy?" Lily snorted in a very unladylike manner. "Hardly." She turned around as James bumped into her in his celebratory exuberance.

"Did you _see_that?" he shouted gleefully to Lily as Sirius whooped behind them. "Did you see it? Merlin, we're going to have to play _hard_ to beat _that_ kind of strategy."

Lily smiled warmly. "I'm not worried. We have the best three Chasers in the school playing for us," she explained. As an afterthought, she added , "And some damn good Beaters."

"Cheers, Evans." James said, sitting back down as Hufflepuff took possession of the Quaffle and began their assault on the Ravenclaw goalposts. -sits back down, laening forward on the bench to watch more easily. He leaned forward on the bench to watch the match more easily. His own words seemed to echo in his head, and he corrected himself; "I mean, Lily."

"You're welcome," Lily replied with a brilliant smile.

Lily leaned forward alongside James and propped her chin up on one hand as she turned to look at him. "So is this sort of reconnaissance for you? Finding out how your next opponent plays and all that?"

James looked back at her, distracted once more by the pretty redhead from his favorite game. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that," he said, ignoring the inexplicably warm and quivery feeling in his stomach. He swallowed hard.

"Maybe you ought to take notes, then," Lily teased, turning to him at the same moment he angled himself toward her. Quite suddenly and unexpectedly, the pair of them found themselves nearly nose-to-nose, were it not for the seven or so inches that separated them. James would have perhaps stayed there indefinitely had he not received a sharp nudge in his lower back from Sirius.

"Yeah, probably a good idea," James agreed quickly. He found himself wishing for a moment that his best mate was not present at the match.

Lily became distracted momentarily as both seekers began diving toward the ground.

"Oh _no_!" she cried. "It can't be over this quickly!"

James leapt to his feet, joining with the rest of the crowd in the wordless roar of anticipation.

The seekers cut through the air with practiced agility, the Hufflepuff seeker slightly ahead of the Ravenclaw, but only by an arm's length. Adrenalin flooded the bodies of the crowd, and then the sight of the snitch as the two seekers collided. They pulled out of the dive, looking a bit shell-shocked. The announcer declared that neither had come away with the snitch, and the crowd groaned.

"Aww, I thought he had it," James groaned.

Sirius reached forward to mess up James' hair. "Yes, well, the longer this goes on, the longer I dont have to write my Transfiguration essay," he said, a wry tone coloring his voice.

"Hear, hear!" Lily agreed.

However, the Hufflepuff chasers were making up for the work their seeker was not managing to accomplish, having scored five quick goals in as many minutes.

James grinned, and Lily broke away from nearly swooning to glance back at the pitch. She was in time to see a Ravenclaw beater collide with Hufflepuff's seeker. "Oi!" she yelled in indignation. "That's not allowed, you dolt!"

James shook his head, disgusted. "They're playing like morons!"

Lily sighed. "Here comes the penalty."

The Hufflepuff chaser lined up to take the penalty while the crowd drew an anxious breath. Jeers came from the dark blue-clad supporters. Lily turned to James and hid her face in his shoulder.

"I don't want to watch!" she cried, looping her hands around his upper arm.

James tensed slightly at the unexpected touch, but could not help but lean slightly into her as well. "It's a penalty, Lily, that's all." His voice cracked on the last word, and his face flushed with nervousness. "Look, come on." He said, clearing his throat and pointing toward the pitch.

Lily, for her part, was desperately trying to think of a reason not to move, due to the addictive and rather heady scent of whatever cologne or aftershave James was currently wearing.

Lily waved her hand. "It's still just a cheap shot!" she exclaimed, clinging more tightly. "Tell me when it's over." She was quite sure she could watch the entirety of the match from the comfort of James' arms.

James bit his lip, not really wanting her to get off of him, yet at the same time wishing she would leave him alone.

The Hufflepuff chaser managed to sink the penalty, shooting the Quaffle straight through the outstretched hands of the Ravenclaw keeper.

James clapped and Lily could feel the muscles in his upper arm flexing. "Good on you, mate!" he said, grinning. "It's all right, Lily, come on, now." He looked down at her, trying not to smile too brightly.

Lily raised her head to peer up at him. "He made the shot, didn't he?"

" Er.. yes. Yes he did." James replied, momentarily losing his focus when met by the closeness of her face.

Lily sighed, detaching herself from his arm. "Well, Ravenclaw'd better get their heads in the game," she said resignedly.

"Providing you're going for Ravenclaw, that is," James qualified.

Lily whipped her head around to stare at him suspiciously, one eyebrow raised. "And you're not?" she asked sharply. She was more put out about this than she really should have been, but she had a sneaking suspicion that this was somehow linked to that blonde and busty Hufflepuff girl.

"I'm going for an easy opponent, whoever that ends up being," James said evasively. "I've got the League scouting the final, you know."

Lily's brow remained raised. "Wouldn't it make you look even better if you played a tough opponent and still managed to smash them?"

James laughed. "Perhaps, I dunno." After a moment's pause, he leaned over to Lily while maintaining his watch on the pitch; "You know Leslie Olcott? Her step-brother is a reserve Keeper for Pride of Portree."

"Really?" Lily asked, in an entirely bored tone. She did not, in fact, want to hear a word about Leslie Olcott, especially not from James.

James nodded. "Yeah, she said she'd introduce me at Easter." He turned away from the pitch to smile at her. "Could be cool, right?"

"At Easter? Why're you-" Lily paused, trying to think of a way to rephrase her query in a nonchalant manner. "What, are you.. visiting her or something?" Her pulse quickened, her heart pounding in fear.

James shrugged. "I think he's coming to visit her in Hogsmeade, or something."

"Oh," said Lily, relief flooding her.

After a brief pause, Lily found she could no longer contain her curiosity. " So… you'n Olcott are getting to be pretty good friends, eh?" She tried to keep her tone light, as if the question was of little importance.

James shrugged, eyes on the pitch. "I guess. She's pretty cool."

Sirius, by this point, was content with hurling colorful insults at the Hufflepuff team.

Lily's head began to reel, and she found herself wondering how she could change the topic. She found herself suddenly and irrationally hating Leslie Olcott with most, if not all, of her being.

"Well that's nice..." she managed.

James didn't hear her. The Hufflepuff chasers whipped past their section of the stands. They met near the center of the pitch and began flying in formation toward the goalposts.

Lily clapped her hands to her mouth. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Her hands crept up to cover her eyes.

The Hufflepuff chaser threw and scored. The crowd was roaring, on their feet and stamping.

James reached over to tug Lily's hands away from her face.

Lily flinched from the electrostatic shock of his hand touching hers. James withdrew his own hands as he felt her tense, a now-familiar flush creeping up his neck and into his cheeks.

Lily looked immediately over at him, wondering if, for the first time in weeks, James might actually be flirting back.

"Watch, come on!" James encouraged. "You're missing out."

Lily glanced at the pitch, where the Hufflepuff Chaser was currently in the middle of a victory lap. "I'm perfectly fine with missing out on watching Ravenclaw get their arses kicked, thanks."

James shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Lily had, of course, been exaggerating. She actually did want to watch the match, and her attention soon returned to the goings-on on the pitch.

The twosome lapsed into silence, and James allowed himself to be sucked back into the match, only extricating himself long enough to turn around and speak to Sirius, with whom conversing was somehow much easier.

Thirty minutes later, and after Ravenclaw managed to sink some incredible goals, the score was 210-80, in favor of Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff had grown arrogant, according to James' commentary, and were now paying dearly for it.

Sarah MacElroy flew toward the Hufflepuff posts, Quaffle held securely under her arm.

Sirius leapt to his feet, clapping and cheering loudly as Sarah scored.

Lily joined him on her feet, clapping as well. The way she figured it, a goal for Ravenclaw was a strike against Leslie Olcott. She was distracted from the excitement of cheering on MacElroy as she noticed, out the corner of her eye, the Hufflepuff Seeker beginning to zoom towards the opposite end of the stands, the Ravenclaw seeker following close behind.

Lily reached out and grabbed James' forearm, directing his attention to the other side of the pitch from the goal being scored. "Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no, noooo!" she wailed.

James whipped around to look toward where Lily was pointing him. "Go! Go, go!" he exclaimed, instantly attuned to the action and entirely exhilarated.

Lily, still gripping his arm tightly, buried her face in his shoulder again, moaning "I don't want to see. Just tell me when it's over."

Unthinking, James put his arm around her shoulders.

Behind them, Sirius glanced down at them, breaking from his cheers as he beheld the sight above them. Confusion and a good bit of indignation sparked within him. What was James doing? And, more importantly, what was Evans playing at?

It struck Lily suddenly that Ravenclaw losing would be totally worth it, if being in James' arms was the end result. She nestled a bit closer to James, waiting to hear the announcer proclaim Hufflepuff as the winner and breathing deeply the scent of him.

James let go of Lily and jumps to his feet as Hufflepuff Seeker's hands close around the snitch, and began clapping hard, a broad grin spreading his features.

From James' other side, Sirius groaned in dismay. Lily leaned around and offered him a wry smile.

"Oh well. At least they lost to Gryffindor already," she said.

"Yeah," he responded, hopping to his feet. "I'll head off and comfort my grieving ladyfriend." With a nudge to James, he added, "Catch you later, all right?"

James turned from watching Hufflepuff's victory lap and said, "See you, mate."

"Bye Sirius!" Lily said, waving him farewell. Then she turned her attention to James, completely missing the odd look that Sirius gave her as he headed off.

"So what do you think of our chances for next game?" she asked. "We're playing Ravenclaw next, right?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, and it'll be a _good_ match. I'm going to have to train the _mess_ out of our Keeper."

"You'd better," she said, flashing him a teasing smirk. She was about to ask if he wanted to accompany her back to the common room when a very unwelcome voice interrupted them.

"James!" Leslie Olcott called out as she walked down their row of benches from the Hufflepuff side of the stands. "What'd you think?"

Lily did her best to hide her scowl at Leslie's arrival, cursing the cruelty of fate. This was exactly the sort of situation she had wanted to avoid.

Meanwhile, James grinned at Lily, but was distracted from responding by Leslie's voice. Turning around, he said, "Leslie! Hey, that was _excellent_. I didn't figure Hufflepuff could recover from the point deficit."

Leslie beamed at him.

"I was talking to our captain, Thomas Crowe, and he said they totally reorganized the team after Gryffindor's first match. Whatever training regimen you use, it _works_."

Lily resisted the urge to vomit as she watched Leslie flutter her lashes at James and slather him with compliments, but he merely laughed and said, "You're sweet."

"And what about MacElroy?" Leslie continued. "She feints like no other Chaser I have ever seen, and I've seen loads of League matches, you know. My brother is a reserve Keeper on Pride, and we get free tickets _all_ the time. You should come sometime."

As Leslie mentioned the possibility of James accompanying her somewhere outside of school, Lily felt the blood freeze in her veins. Quickly, she interjected, in attempt to change the subject, "I wouldn't worry too much about Ravenclaw, James. They lost to Hufflepuff, who _we've_ already beaten."

Leslie, who had only had eyes for James, now noticed Lily Evans standing on his other side. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she looked at her rival, then she noticed the color of the sweater the redhead was wearing and her expression morphed into a sneering little smile. In response, Lily lifted her chin haughtily and was suddenly seized with the violent urge to toss Leslie off the edge of the stands and send her crashing onto the pitch two stories below them.

Oblivious to the bout of female politics taking place beside him, James turned his back to the pitch and leaned against the railing so that he could face both girls at the same time.

"It'll all play out," he said, shrugging. "Teams have come back from losses to win the House Cup dozens of times. It's all about the points margin."

"Yeah and didn't we beat Hufflepuff by like a hundred point margin?" Lily asked. "They only beat Ravenclaw by ten."

He shrugged again and answered, "Nothing is for certain until the final."

Happy to have distracted his attention, once again, from Leslie, Lily smiled sweetly at James and teased, "C'mon, Captain. Where's your trademark optimism?"

"Must have left it in my _other_ robes," he responded, flashing her a crooked smile.

Leslie, of course, refused to be shut out of the conversation.

"Though I ought not root against my own house, I _know_ you'll win this year, for sure," she told James, reaching up and tousling his hair. "And, you know.... Caleb Smith is retiring from the Pride this year... There's going to be a Chaser's spot to fill. I could have Henry put in a good word for you."

James was silent for a moment, struck by the image of himself as a professional Quidditch player. He had never been a Pride supporter, but still...

"Could you?" he asked, a wide grin spread across his lips. "Wow."

"I thought you wanted to play for the Catapults," Lily said disgruntledly. She had not missed the way Leslie had so casually touched James' hair. How on earth had the smarmy bint managed to get those sort of privileges with him?

"Well, yeah. But any place in the League is kind of incredible..," James responded.

"Who's to say they won't want to recruit you? Set your sights high!" Lily urged him, more out of a desire not to have him associated with Olcott's team than a true wish to see him playing for his favorite team.

James laughed.

"Okay, okay. You're sounding like my mother," he said, without thinking. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized to whom he had just referred. He blinked as he felt his heart clench painfully in his chest, but recovered.

Lily, who had not missed the blink, smiled reassuringly at him and said, "That's quite a compliment." After a brief pause, she added, "Well.. I'm headed back to the common room. You coming?"

Before James could answer, Leslie hastened to say, "Oh, that reminds me. James, have you got a spare thirty minutes or so? I wanted to hear what you thought about the Wales national team's chances in next year's Cup."

He raised his eyebrows at her. Having been born in Wales, he had a special love for their national team. "Oh, definitely," he said. Glancing at Lily, he smiled and told her, "I'll see you around, Evans. Thanks for sitting with me."

Lily, who had been contemplating again the feasibility of flinging that sneaky Hufflepuff bint over the edge of the stands, forced herself to smile brightly at James and said, "Always happy to keep you company. I'll er.. see you later then."

It was fortunate that the stands were mostly empty by now, because Lily had just realized that her eyes were prickling with tears. Turning her back on James and Leslie, she began descending the stairs as quickly as she could, anxious to find a private spot in the safety of the castle where she could have a good cry. Though she had begun the day (and the term, really) with such high hopes, they were now near to being dashed to pieces. Clearly, James preferred Leslie Olcott's company to hers, and Lily was at a loss for how to compete with a girl who could flaunt both her Quidditch knowledge and ample cleavage as easily as Olcott could. A great, hiccoughing sob rose in her throat as she imagined James and Leslie still laughing and chatting away in the stands. Feeling her eyes begin to sting, Lily darted into the first empty classroom she could find. There she flung herself into a desk and buried her face in her arms as she dissolved into angry, despairing tears.


	15. Birthday Joys

There is an unspoken rule among wizards and Muggles alike that a person's birthday ought to be one of the happiest days of the year. Although it came at the end of what had been a rather hellish month, Lily Evans' eighteenth birthday was turning out to be a very good day. It began at seven thirty that morning with Marlene and Mary jumping into her bed, bouncing excitedly, and yelling, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" at the top of their lungs until she woke up. Once they saw that Lily had opened her eyes and sat up, each girl produced a brightly wrapped package from behind her back and set it on Lily's lap.

"You have to open them before we go to breakfast," Marlene informed her.

"My, my. They must be exceptionally exciting presents this year, if you're so anxious for me to open them," Lily commented, reaching with tantalizingly slow movements for the square, blue-papered package currently resting on her right knee.

"We can always keep them for ourselves if you don't want him," Mary threatened, the good-natured smile on her lips signaling the fact that she was only teasing.

Since Lily was actually quite eager to see what was inside the presents on her lap, her response to Mary's suggestion was to turn over the package in her hands and pull back the wrapping paper at its seam, revealing a plain white box. She turned it over, lifted the lid and peered inside. There, nestled in baby blue tissue paper, was an ornately-wrought silver hairbrush.

"Ohhh," Lily murmured as she lifted the hairbrush gently from the box.

"That one's from me," Mary explained. "It's charmed so that you can style your hair with it however you want. All you have to do is tap the handle with your wand first and tell it what you want it to do."

To Lily, who had spent the past six and a half years complaining that her naturally-wavy hair was simply unmanageable, this was a perfect gift. Straight hair was all the rage these days, and until now she had been forced to spend an extra half hour in the bathroom on the days she wanted to wear her hair straight. With this brush, though... Grinning, she set it back in the box and leaned forward to envelop its giver in a warm hug.

"Thanks, Mary! It's perfect. I can't wait to try it out," she said.

"You're welcome," the brunette responded, giving Lily a friendly squeeze in return.

Setting the hairbrush and box aside, Lily turned to Marlene's gift. This one was wrapped in dark pink paper which, as it turned out, was indicative of the present inside.

"_Raspberry_ sugar quills?" Lily exclaimed, lifting the package out of the box. "I didn't know they made them!"

"They're a new flavor," said Marlene. "Just came out last month. And supposedly they've started charming them to look even more like a real quill now, so you really can eat them in class."

But Lily hardly heard this news, as she had just pulled out a second package from her box.

"_And_ raspberry chocoballs? I am going to have a _feast_ today," she said, tearing eagerly into the package and popping one of the chocolate globes into her mouth. Although she hadn't eaten a proper breakfast yet, she could not resist the allure of her favorite candy in the entire world. After chewing and swallowing her pre-breakfast treat, she reached forward to hug Marlene tightly and thank her as well.

Less than an hour later, after Lily had had a chance to shower and magically brush her hair straight, the three girls arrived in the Great Hall where the birthday festivities continued. As she walked down the aisle by the Gryffindor table, several students wished her a happy birthday. From the Head table, she saw Hagrid wink at her and raise his giant goblet of pumpkin juice in a toast. When the morning mail arrived, a school owl swooped down in front of her and dropped three packages beside her plate, which Mary and Marlene urged her to open. The first was from her parents, who had bought her a cashmere sweater in a beautiful shade of dark purple. The second was from her grandparents, and its contents elicited a squeal from all three girls. Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan, her maternal grandparents, had sent her a set of pearl earrings and a matching necklace, with a note explaining that every woman ought to have a set of pearls and, now that she was an adult, they wanted to give her her first set.

"But oughtn't they have given it to you last year?" Marlene asked, looking up from the note in confusion.

Lily shook her head and explained, "Muggles don't come of age until eighteen."

"Oh," the blonde shrugged, "Well, go ahead! Put them on!"

"Don't you think they're kind of.. fancy for my school uniform?" Lily asked.

"At least wear the earrings," Mary suggested. "Besides, you've a reason to dress up today. It's your birthday."

"Very true," Lily conceded, smiling at them both. Carefully, she took the pearl studs from the jewelry case and put them on. "How do they look?"

"Just lovely," Mary responded, smiling warmly at her.

"You've got one present left," Marlene reminded her, pushing the last little box forward.

Lily obliged her curious friends by picking up the box and peeling back the wrapping paper, commenting, "I wonder who this one's from." When she opened the box, she received her answer. Inside was a very tiny bottle of perfume and a frilly, pink and white card informing her that she was invited to attend the marriage of Petunia Evans and Vernon Dursley on Sunday, April 2.

"But.. Petunia never sends me a present," Lily protested, staring in confusion at the card in her hand.

"I'm not sure you ought to consider this a present," said Marlene, who had given the perfume an experimental sniff. "This smells like old cat lady. And it's tiny."

"Oh, well.. I already have my own scent anyway," Lily said, still staring down at the wedding invitation she'd received. "I just... I didn't think she was going to invite me to her wedding."

"Are you going to go?" asked Mary. The girls were well aware of the strained relationship between Lily and her sister. When Mary had visited over the holidays immediately following their fifth year, Petunia Evans had incited a fight that had left nearly everyone in tears, Mary included.

"Yes. I _do_ want to, even though-... and I'll be home for the Easter Holiday anyway," Lily answered, a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"You should go. _And_ you should bring a date," Marlene said, nodding her head in the direction of a black-haired, bespectacled boy who was sitting a few meters down the table.

Lily's expression clouded at the inadvertent mentioning of James. There was a short pause, and then she said quietly, "That's.. not going so well."

Mary swallowed the sip of breakfast tea in her mouth and queried, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Lily explained, "that I'm not sure he fancies me anymore. He doesn't flirt with me anymore. Sometimes I can barely get him to pay me any attention at all. Plus he's been hanging out with Leslie Olcott a lot, and you_ know_ she has designs on him."

At the mention of the Hufflepuff girl, Marlene wrinkled her nose and interrupted, "Come on, Lil. You really think you need to be worried about Olcott? She's all boobs and no brains. You're way prettier and smarter and nicer than she is."

Despite the glum despondency she felt, Lily couldn't keep from smiling at her best friend's biased assessment.

"Thanks, Lena. But maybe James doesn't feel that way. I mean... they both are obsessed with Quidditch. Maybe they're better suited for one another," she said.

"But she's _boring_," Marlene protested. "All she does is blab on and on."

"And supposedly boys hate that," Mary added.

"Exactly!" said Marlene. "Besides, they aren't dating, are they?"

"Well no, but-" Lily began.

Mary shook her head and interrupted, "Our Lily doesn't give up this easily. Men are slow, remember? It might have taken him this long to realize you've been flirting." She hesitated a moment, and then continued slowly. "And it might take him a bit to warm up to you... It may be that dear James can't actually believe his luck."

"I suppose...," Lily said, her expression displaying how much she doubted the veracity of this statement.

"At any rate," Mary continued, hoping her friend had gotten the message, "We'd better start off for Defense Against the Dark Arts, or we're likely to be late."

At the mention of class, Lily checked the watch on her wristband, gave a tiny squeak of dismay and jumped to her feet. Thanks to a bit of speed walking, the girls managed to arrive in their classroom with fifty seconds to spare. They had just taken their usual seats, when the bell rang and Professor Killeborne stood up to address the class.

"I hope you all completed the reading assignment from your text," he said, "Because today we will be putting that theory into practice. For the next week, we will be focusing on the Patronus Charm, specifically on the production of a corporeal patronus. Can anyone tell me what a patronus is?" He paused and scanned the class for a raised hand. "Yes, Mr. Lupin?"

"It's a a protective charm that defends its caster from Dementors and Lethifolds," Remus said. "It can also be used to relay messages from one wizard to another."

"Very good. Five points to Gryffindor," said Killeborne. "A Patronus is a wizard's only defense against such powerful dark creatures as Lethifolds and Dementors, which means that it is a particularly difficult spell to master. Most wizards are only capable of producing a Patronus in its shield form. As N.E.W.T. students, however, I am confident that all of you will be able, with practice, to cast a corporeal Patronus, which is..?"

This time, Lily raised her hand and answered, "A Patronus that has taken bodily form, usually that of an animal, bird or other creature. Each wizard has a particular shape that his Patronus will take."

"Exactly. Another five points to Gryffindor. Now the spell to cast this charm is 'Expecto Patronum.'-" Here he paused to turn to the blackboard behind him and write out the words. "Repeat after me please." Once he was satisfied that his class had mastered the pronunciation, he continued with his lecture. "It is important to remember that saying the words is not enough. While you pronounce the spell, you must have fixed in your mind your happiest memory. The stronger the memory, the better. It is from this memory that you will conjure your Patronus. So! If you will all stand and take out your wands, the best way to learn the Patronus Charm is loads and loads of practice. Remember the incantation: '_Expecto Patronum_,' and don't forget to concentrate on your happiest memory as you cast it."

One by one the students rose to their feet. There was a few moments of silence in the room as each one searched his mind for a suitable memory, then the classroom was filled with the swishing of wands and murmured incantations. Lily was silent several minutes longer than most of her classmates, as she was having trouble deciding upon a memory. Eventually, she decided to concentrate on her first ballet recital and the joy she had felt as she twirled across the stage in time with the music. Lifting her wand, she said, "_Expecto Patronum_!" and watched as a silvery cloud erupted from the end of it. Frowning, Lily glanced around the room and noted that most of her classmates were having similar trouble. She closed her eyes again, concentrated on her memory, and tried once more, with the same result.

After half an hour of watching his students' attempts, Professor Killeborne cleared his throat to regain their attention. "It may take you several tries to find the best memory. If the one you've chosen now is not working for you, then find a stronger, better one. And, once again, I cannot stress enough the importance of concentrating on the memory you've chosen. You need to really feel the joy behind it as you cast the charm."

A happier memory? Lily bit her lip and leaned against the side of her desk as she scanned her thoughts for an even happier moment in her life. Hard as she tried to think of something else, her mind kept returning to that morning last November when she and James had explored the snowy grounds together. Given the current state of confusion and longing that was her feelings for James, she had been trying to avoid using him as her memory, but it seemed her subconscious had other plans. Maybe that memory would work. After all, that had been the most fun she'd had all year and possibly in the past several years.

Lifting her wand hand, she stood upright and closed her eyes, recalling to mind the delighted laughter she and James had shared as they'd hurled snowballs at one another. "_Expecto Patronum_!" she said and opened her eyes as she felt her wand vibrate powerfully in her hand. Lily watched in surprise as a silvery shape blossomed out of the end of her wand, dropped delicately to the ground in front of her and began to canter around in circles. She was so shocked that she had managed to conjure a real Patronus that it took her a few seconds to recognize the form it had taken. Smiling, she reached out a hand to stroke the muzzle of the silver doe that was now bowing its head in front of her, but before she could touch it, the doe had vanished.

"Wow, Lily, you did it!" Mary congratulated her. "Maybe you can help me with mine?"

"Sure," Lily said, and turned to face her friend, but her attention was caught by another flash of silver light a few meters behind them. She glanced back in time to see a silvery shape burst forth from James' wand, while Sirius, Remus and Peter looked on in admiration. Lily couldn't help but smile in pride that he had managed the spell as easily as she had. Her smile only widened when she realized what form his Patronus had taken. It was a deer, just as hers had been, but a deer with an impressive set of antlers upon his head: a stag. Her heart gave a funny little flutter at the thought that their Patronuses were perfectly matched. Maybe Marlene and Mary were right and she oughtn't give up on James after all. It wasn't exactly a sign, per say, but at this point, Lily would take any encouragement that she could get.

After dinner that evening, James had approached her in the common room with a parcel in one hand. Lily was reading and almost entirely immersed in the book she held, but looked up as she sensed a presence beside her.

"Hullo, Lily," James said, a twitchy sort of smile on his face. Lily looked up at him and beamed.

"Evening, James," she said brightly. She scooted over on the sofa upon which she reclined to make room for him, but he remained standing, shifting his weight from foot to foot and looking adorably awkward and uncertain.

He cleared his throat, and Lily thought for a moment she could detect a flush creeping into his cheeks. She wanted to leap up and throw her arms around him. But James rubbed the back of his head nervously, a crooked smile spreading across his lips.

"So," he said, glancing around. "Er... Happy birthday." He held out the parcel. It was large and square, but thin and rigid. Lily reached out and took it.

"Ooh, thanks, James," she said, surveying the paper. It appeared to be wrapped in old parchment, and when she tore into it, she found that it was indeed one of Peter Pettigrew's essays for Care of Magical Creatures. The grade had been blotted out with ink, but Lily through for a moment she saw a "P" or an "A". She hoped it was the latter, but continued to unwrap her present while James remained standing, watching her with something like hope in his eyes. Something had changed between the two of them. Again.

James had been entirely certain that he had received his final answer from Lily on that first snowy day of the year. Over the Christmas holidays and all the insanity therein, he had decided the time had come for him to move on and simply let Lily alone. His friends had supported him in this thought, as they had all watched James' persistence be met with indifference bordering on hostility for the past few years. Sirius had been the most vocal about his opinion that James ought to admit defeat and move on, because there were all sorts of girls at Hogwarts who would gladly go out with the Quidditch captain. Sirius had dated most of them, sure, but that was beside the point. It wasn't until Remus had weighed in on New Year's Eve, as the boys sat around James' bedroom in his newly-darkened house drinking Firewhisky and playing Exploding Snap (a less than ideal combination), that James had reluctantly admitted that perhaps things with Lily had gotten as far as they were going to go, that he ought to move on and try dating another girl.

Thus had begun James' newly-formed resolution to find someone else. And yet, he couldn't. When he arrived back at Hogwarts, it seemed as though the Hogwarts student body was made of nothing _but_ girls. And, to make matters worse, Lily had become the most flirtatious sort of _friend _James had ever met. But her words still rang in his ears. He knew she didn't want to be with him. And his mates were right. He would achieve nothing by entertaining the notion that perhaps she had changed her mind. She simply didn't want to lose him as a friend. No, the sooner he let himself rebound from their.. whatever-they-were.. the better. But he couldn't have neglected her birthday. And so, despite Sirius' and Remus' disapproval, he had bought her a vinyl record. This she finished unwrapping now, and James watched her expression carefully.

"Ooh, James!" she cried triumphantly. The brightly colored cover of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" beamed up at her. She traced her fingers over the faces of the Muggle musicians whom she so much admired. "Thanks so much!"

"I didn't know which ones you had or hadn't got," James said almost apologetically. Lily shook her head emphatically.

"This is wonderful!" she said, hopping to her feet and throwing her arms around him. "Thank you!"

If ever there was a time when James wanted to throw caution to the wind and kiss a girl without any indication of consent, it was at this precise moment. But he settled for returning the embrace, albeit gingerly, and extricated himself as soon as he felt her release him. His body felt electrified, and he was quite sure his neck was bright red.

"Er..." he said, finding suddenly that he couldn't think of any words to say. He was usually so charming, so urbane! What was it about this stupid girl that had turned him into such a dunce?

"Happy Christmas," he blurted, then beat a hasty retreat upstairs to his room. The ghost of her form felt pressed against his body, and he was quite sure he could still smell her hair. _Merlin,_ he thought, _the sooner I leave Hogwarts, the better._ He had been lying on his bed for a good few moments, replaying their interaction in his head when he sat bolt upright, shouting a swearword that had Peter start and shriek from where he was sitting and playing wizard's chess with Sirius.

"Oh, no," he groaned, flopping back onto his mattress and tugging his pillow over his head.

__Lily watched James' retreating form with a fond smile on her face. She was too excited by the fact that he had actually hugged her back to notice he had referred to the wrong holiday. A dreamy little sigh escaped her as she hugged her new album to her chest and tried to fix the feeling of James' arms around her permanently into her memory. Returning to her sofa, she picked up her book and resumed reading it. Or at least pretending to read it. In reality, she was too busy replaying the last five minutes in her head. James had never given her a birthday present before! He'd never actually embraced her either. And tonight, she'd gotten both. It was, truly, the best birthday present she could have asked for. After a few minutes more of fruitlessly trying to concentrate on her novel, Lily closed it and hurried upstairs to find Marlene and Mary, her spirits feeling lighter than they had in weeks.

Despite the hope that had inspired her on her birthday, the next week passed with no encouragement. Lily's flirtation with James remained decidedly one-sided. The amount of time he spent with Leslie Olcott had grown considerably Or at least what Lily thought was considerable. In reality he only spoke to her a couple of times a day when they passed one another in the hallway, and Leslie had eaten dinner once with the Marauders. Neither of these situations could be called romantic, but they still made Lily quite anxious. The first Hogsmeade weekend of the term was fast approaching. It was this Saturday, in fact, a date that Lily had chosen on purpose. For this Saturday was February 11, which meant the Hogsmeade weekend could reasonably be called a "Valentine's Hogsmeade Visit." And Lily was particularly keen on going with James. She had been dropping hints as often as she possibly could for an entire week, but with no success. She was beginning to grow desperate.

So desperate, in fact, that she had decided to try a rather unconventional tactic, but one that she privately considered to be taking a leaf out of Leslie Olcott's book. If her blonde rival could make a regular habit of wearing her shirt unbuttoned rather more than necessary, then surely there was nothing wrong with Lily showing a little skin to a Prefects meeting? Maybe if she flashed him a bit of _her_ cleavage, the Head Boy would finally understand the message she'd been trying to send him for the past month.

And so, with this goal in mind, Lily donned a skirt that hadn't really been long enough for her since fourth year and unbuttoned the top four (as opposed to the top two) buttons on her uniform shirt, then made her way down to the Prefects' meeting room. As she expected, she was the first one there, and she perched herself rather uncomfortably on an armchair, hoping that James would be the first to arrive to the meeting.

Two minutes later, she got her wish. James rushed through the door, appearing slightly winded. He had been up in the boys' dormitory deep in discussion with Sirius and had only remembered the meeting when Sirius had made a comment about him being late. In order to avoid tardiness, he had run as fast as could through the castle halls, taking every short cut he could remember, and consequently managed to arrive a few minutes before the meeting was set to begin.

"Sorry I'm nearly late, I-" he blurted out, then stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of Lily's outfit. For a full two seconds, he stared in silence as his mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that he was currently alone in a room with a very scantily-clad Lily Evans. "I got.. held up," he finally managed to finish his sentence. Blinking and shaking his head, he took a seat in his usual armchair and tried his best to control his thoughts. Surely he was imagining things. He had never, ever seen so much of Lily Evans' legs. They seemed to sing a siren's call to him. He could hardly tear his eyes away, and yet he knew he must.

Lily had been watching him closely from the moment he arrived. His blinking, staring, stuttering reaction had not gone unnoticed; it was exactly the kind she had wanted. Now if only all of the Prefects would be late today... Smiling innocently, she waited until she knew he was watching and crossed her legs, knowing full well that this would cause her skirt to fall several centimeters higher on her thighs.

"That's all right," she said. "No one else is here yet anyway."

"Good," James responded without thinking, and immediately cursed himself for having said it. What more could he want? If what Sirius had told him following the Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw match was true, then Lily had definitely been flirting with him. He had scarcely dared to believe it at the time, but what else could she have been playing at? The Lily Evans he knew was not in the slightest bit faint of heart, particularly over something like Quidditch. Grabbing his arm and hiding herself in his chest was clearly flirting. But what if he had misinterpreted things? What if she was just trying to be friends?

Leaning towards him over the arm of her own chair, Lily asked sweetly, "Is there anything we need to go over before the meeting starts?"

He cleared his throat, feeling his neck beginning to flush, and reached into his messenger bag to pull out a stack of papers.

"So.. er..," he began, looking determinedly down at the papers in his hand. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned that he, er.. that he-" And James promptly forgot what he had been about to say because he had made the mistake of looking up and had just discovered that he could see straight down Lily's shirt and oh dear sweet Merlin, was that _black lace_ she was wearing?

"Mentioned that he...?" Lily prompted, trying desperately to hide a smirk.

Forcing himself to listen to his better nature, James squeezed his eyes shut and ran both his hands through his hair.

"I think you missed a button or two," he informed her and crossed one leg over the other in attempt to hide his burgeoning reaction to the highly tempting amount of creamy white skin that was currently on display before him.

Lily blinked, utterly taken aback, as she had been hoping his reaction would be to grab her, snog her silly and beg her to be his girlfriend one more time.  
"I... er... ," she stuttered, then looked down and pretended to be surprised to find that her breasts were being flaunted in his face. "Oh. Sorry." Feeling her cheeks beginning to flush, she fumbled to fasten another button on her shirt.

James peeped nervously at her, now regretting that he had said anything.  
"You're not in trouble, or anything," he assured her, "Just looking out for your virtue and all that."

"Why James!" Lily exclaimed, leaning forward again with a naughty smirk twitching on her lips. "Are you suggesting you might be a danger to my virtue?" Oh how dearly she wished he would be...

He laughed nervously, thinking this was a totally unfair trick-question-setup-thing, and answered, "Of course not, Lily."

Although this was not exactly the response she had been expecting, she decided to press her advantage further.

"So Dumbledore said..," she prompted him. Leaning towards him again, until her face was merely centimeters from his, she plucked the stack of papers from his hands so she could read them.

"Uh-bluh-wha?" James stuttered, reduced to a mumbly mess by the tantalizing proximity of her lips to his.

"You said you met with him earlier today," Lily responded. Her skirt slid another few centimeters up her thigh as she leaned back in her chair and recrossed her legs.

James stared down at his hands, wondering where all his papers had gone.

"I'm sorry. What were we saying?" he asked, utterly confused. His brain seemed capable of focusing on nothing but the alluring, cream-skinned girl sitting next to him. What on earth had possessed her to dress like that today? Didn't she know what showing all that glorious leg did to a bloke?

"You were about to tell me what Dumbledore said," she explained helpfully.

"Dumbled-? Oh, yes, right," James said, blinking again and tearing his eyes away from her legs as he tried to distract himself from the fact that her skirt had ridden so high that he could almost see the entire curve of her utterly perfect arse. He glanced down at his empty hands and then back up at Lily, focusing his gaze determinedly on her face. "Have you seen my papers?"

"These ones?" she asked, holding up the stack in her hands.

"Yes. When did you get those?" he asked, having been far too distracted by the discovery that her knickers matched her lacy black bra to notice her taking the papers from his hands.

Lily's response was a decidedly feline smirk.

"You seem awfully distracted tonight, James," she commented. "Something on your mind?"

A beat of silence hung tangibly in the air.

"The Caerphilly Catapults are playing this weekend and could totally clinch the title if they win by a margin of three hundred points," he blurted out quickly, staring in a panicked fashion at her clothing.

She was silent a moment, unsure what to make of this information. Then she laughed and said, "Well..... in that case, go Catapults!" There was another awkward pause, and then Lily took pity on James' predicament and shifted her position so that her skirt covered a more reasonable portion of her legs. James relaxed visibly, realizing that he had been trying not to breathe too deeply.

"Anyway. About Dumbledore," she said. "I'm going to guess he told you also that we're set to have a Hogsmeade visit this Saturday? I made a notice for the Prefects to post in each of their common rooms." Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a stack of little heart-shaped flyers that she had brought with her and offered them to him for his perusal.

"Yeah. Yeah the Hogsmeade weekend," James said, "That was it. Sorry. I er..." He decided to let the sentence hang rather than attempt to vocalize exactly where his thoughts had gone.

Lily, who felt herself much nearer to attaining her goal than she ever had been before, pressed on: "Madame Puddifoot will be happy, I'm sure. She'll do great business with all those couples out on Valentine's dates." She watched James carefully as she spoke, hoping he would take the bait.

"Sirius said something about that place," James commented, wrinkling his nose slightly at the mention of it. "Apparently there's confetti that rains down on you? Seems a bit silly to me."

"Oh yeah. I'd heard she does that on Valentine's," Lily said. Then, seizing her opportunity, she asked, "So if confetti's not your style, where're you going to be taking your Valentine's date?"

James snorted in response.

"Valentine's date? Me and my mates are going to the Three Broomsticks to listen to the match on Rosmerta's wireless," he said. All four of the boys considered Valentine's Day to be an over-commercialized waste of time; even if there hadn't been on a match on, they would have found better things to do that most certainly did not involve Madame Puddifoot's.

Lily looked quite crestfallen at his response to her question, but she recovered herself quickly and asked, "Oh. There wasn't anybody you fancied taking out then?"

There was a moment of silence, as James experienced a brief internal struggle between his promise to himself to give up on his fruitless quest for Lily's heart and his burning desire (made all the more potent by her flirtatious behavior today) to throw caution to the wind and ask her out again. In the end, he decided to just change the topic.

"The Prefects are going to be here in less than five minutes," he said, "Did we have anything else to go over?"

"Er.. no," she answered and pretended to fumble for something in her school bag to cover the fact that her eyes were suddenly prickling with tears. Suddenly, she could not wait for the meeting to be over and she was rueing her decision to dress a la Leslie. All she'd managed to do was make a fool of herself. If James still wouldn't ask her out after she'd all but thrown herself at him, then he was clearly not interested anymore. At least, she reminded herself as the first of the Prefects began to trickle in, she could take comfort in the knowledge that, if he wasn't going to take her out for Valentine's Day, he at least wasn't going with anyone else, Leslie Olcott included.

Two hours later, James was pacing in the boys' dormitory. His mates, no strangers to James' rants about the redheaded girl, were being subjected to an entirely new brand of James' frustration. the Quidditch captain's hair was standing comically on end, so many times had he run his hands through it in agitation.  
"And she was sitting there, her shirt half undone, and practically had her legs wide open!" He swore. "I don't know what the _hell_ kind of tease this is, but it's absolute rubbish."

Remus, sitting cross-legged on his trunk, pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Surely it was accidental," he offered. "I mean, you did tell her her shirt was open and everything, right?"

"Of course I did," James snapped. "But that doesn't make her skirt any longer. It was like she just wants to flaunt herself or something. It was embarrassing as hell, cos no bloke what isn't a total shirt-lifter can look at _that_ much leg or see _that far_ down a girl's shirt and not react! Here we were, about to start a Prefect's meeting, and she's acting like one of those birds in Sirius' girlie magazines!"

Sirius, who had been listening to this diatribe with about half an ear, looked up. "Oi," he said in attempt at humor, "that's my private collection of tasteful nude art." Peter snickered.

James ignored them both.  
"I don't get it, I really don't," he said, sitting down heavily on his bed. "She said 'no'. I get it. We're not going to go out. It's whatever. But I don't understand what she's hoping to achieve by acting like a complete tart. Rubbing it in my face that I won't ever have her? Ugh. What a cow."

"James," said Remus gently. "Perhaps what you need is what Sirius has been suggesting. Go out with another girl, and put Lily out of your mind." Remus was just as puzzled as James, though perhaps not as flustered. He knew Lily- or, at least, he thought he did- and she was not the sort to dress in an inappropriate manner for attention. Something had to be going on, but he was not entirely sure it would benefit anyone for him to get involved.

"It's what I've been telling you for months, Prongs," Sirius said lightly, flipping a page in his copy of _Which Broomstick?_.

"Yeah," said Peter. "What about Leslie Olcott? I heard her talking to one of her friends about you."

James caught sight of himself in the mirror, and immediately attempted to smooth his wild hair.

"You lads are probably right," he said resignedly. He took a deep breath, thinking. Perhaps hanging around Leslie Olcott would not be so bad. After all, she did know a lot about Quidditch. And she _was_ pretty, with all her blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

Sirius looked up at him from his magazine. "And she's got nice breasts," he supplied, as if reading his best mate's thoughts.

James chucked a pillow at Sirius with perhaps a little more vigor than was necessary. Sirius grinned, and James stalked off to the showers to try and clear his head. Once they were sure he was gone, Remus and Sirius turned to each other.

"What the hell is going on?" Sirius exclaimed. "I told you about the Quidditch match, didn't I?"

Remus nodded. "But I can't, for the life of me, figure out what she's playing at. Unless she's changed her mind, or something."

"It doesn't work that way!" chimed in Peter. "She's told him off loads of times, and he's been fine. But that last time he asked her out- you saw him. He looked destroyed. "

"But what can _we_ do about it?" asked Sirius. "I've half a mind to track down Evans and hex her. She's played James enough. He's had enough, what with Mum Potter dying over the hols, and everything. The last thing he needs is her mucking up his life. Especially when he can do better, you know?"

"Though Prongs is insisting he's over her," Remus said sternly, "I don't think he'd take kindly to the idea of you hexing the girl, broken heart or not."

Sirius shrugged. "But still!" he said, petulantly. "She was practically throwing herself at him at the Quidditch match, and apparently at the Prefect's meeting. She had plenty of time to change her mind, and she didn't. She needs to know when a ship has sailed."

Peter disappeared under his bed and emerged with a packet of chocolate frogs. He tossed one to each of his friends and another on James' bed.  
"The sooner we graduate, the better," he sighed.


	16. A Valentine's Disaster

As far as Hogsmeade visits went, Valentine's Day of 1978 had been an unqualified disaster. James, as a single teenage male, did not understand the ridiculous significance the girls his age (and perhaps older, he didn't know) placed on the day. He himself had always thought it a bit of a waste- an excuse for people in relationships to flaunt their coupledom. This bitterness was more attributed to his own persistently single status. Whatever girlfriend he had- their time together was always short, as his attention was diverted every time by the fiercely attractive Lily Evans. This pathetic excuse for a holiday (they didn't even have school off!) happened to be one of the worst in James' memory.

Originally, he and his mates had planned to head to Rosmerta's as soon as possible to have a few and listen to the Caerphilly Catapults on the wireless in the Three Broomsticks. But, one thing had led to another and Sirius, who was still seeing Sarah MacElroy, had agreed to take her out that weekend. That was normal. On Wednesday, James and his mates had been enjoying a lunch of roast beef sandwiches when Leslie sidled up beside him.

"Hey, you," she said fondly, reaching out a hand and touching James on the shoulder. James looked up.

"Oh, hullo, Leslie," James said, foisting a smile onto his face. He had come to the conclusion that the best thing for him would be to affix his affections to another girl. And Leslie... Well, it simply made sense. She was pretty enough, and seemed to adore him, though to an extent that made James feel a bit shifty. But she really liked Quidditch, and could discuss it with him for hours on end. "How's your day been?"

"Ooh, just fine," she replied, as Sirius made room for her on the bench. She sat down, dragging her hand down from his shoulder to his hand; a bold move. James steeled himself and took her hand. Leslie beamed.

"So, who's the lucky girl this weekend?" she asked. "Your Hogsmeade date?" she elaborated.

"Oh, er, " said James, surprised this had come up so quickly. He had rather preferred to ask her in his own time, rather than the other way 'round.

"Cos I haven't got a date," Leslie said. "And I was wondering, since it's Valentine's weekend, if you'd care to keep me company, Jamesie."

Sirius looked meaningfully at him over the top of Leslie's blonde braid. James took a sip of pumpkin juice to buy himself time. He caught sight of Lily Evans down the table. Had she turned in her seat, had she even glanced his way, he'd have turned Leslie Olcott down. However, at that moment, Ewan Forrester sat down across from her and engaged her in conversation. That did it. James set down his glass and turned to Leslie, mouth spreading in a smile.

"That sounds perfect, Leslie," James said, though he felt a bit sickish as he said it.

Leslie beamed and squeezed his hand and ruffled his hair and pressed a kiss to his cheek before flouncing away.

Sirius chuckled. "Mate," he said, having watched the entire exchange, "you've no future in acting. Good thing she didn't catch on. But this will be good for you. Moving on, I mean."

James made no comment. Of course he didn't _really_ want to go with Leslie- he didn't want to take a date at all- but he had determined this would be good for him.

"We're still listening to the match on the wireless, whether you two have dates or not, right?" asked Peter. James nodded. Little could separate him voluntarily from his beloved team.

That Thursday, James had sought Leslie out and informed her with no uncertainty that he was still planning on listening to the match. It was common knowledge that the Gryffindor was a die-hard Catapults fan, after all. Leslie had batted her eyelashes in a way that she must have thought was quite winsome and told James that as long as they were _together_, they could be listening to the local weather forecast and she wouldn't care. She had also called him 'Jamesie'. He had cringed, unable to stop himself. Also common knowledge was the fact that James Potter couldn't stand babying nicknames. However, Leslie had flitted off before he could correct her. Perhaps the largest disappointment of the

Despite his feelings of trepidation about the date, Saturday approached more quickly than James thought was possible. And before he knew it, the lot of them were headed to Hogsmeade, his hand held in a vise-tight grip by Leslie. Her hands were soft, he supposed, but her perfume was a bit too strong for his tastes. But she had done her hair and makeup, and James would have been lying if he claimed to not find her attractive.

If there was one thing to be said about Leslie Olcott, it would be that the girl did not give up easily. James supposed he ought to accept her perseverance, as he himself had until very recently persisted in his pursuit of Lily Evans. However, now, he realized that it was simply obnoxious. _No wonder,_ he thought, half-glum and half prepared to smack Leslie across the face as she straightened his collar and brushed her hand across the back of his neck as they sat in the Three Broomsticks around Rosmerta's wireless. He stared down at the pint of mead in front of him, neck flushing slightly in embarrassment as his mates watched him be manhandled. Usually, James would be all for a physical distraction. He made no claims to sexual sainthood though he'd never gone all the way, but this was just humiliating. More than once, he told Leslie in an undertone that she needed to stop inching her hand from her knee up his thigh. He wasn't about to start snogging her in a public place when they weren't even actually dating. And truthfully, with the way things were going, he wasn't likely to kiss her at all.

She had lured him with her knowledge of Quidditch and (truth be told) her cute figure, but had proven herself to be silly and shallow. She talked mostly about herself at a high pace, even when the match was getting particularly heated, and by the end of the first hour, James' mates were regretting that they had advised him to go out with the girl.

No, truthfully, James just wanted to be there with Lily. That much was obvious. Even if they hadn't been there as a couple, it would have been nice to hang out with her outside of classes or Patrols. Though lately it seemed as if fate was mocking him and Lily was being unintentionally saucy with him, he enjoyed her company. Remus called him a masochist, but James knew better. And, truthfully, the other boys enjoyed Lily, too. When James had let up and stopped pestering her for a date all the time, she had ended up hanging around a bit. It wasn't magical, and she wasn't instantly a best friend to all four boys, but Remus and Peter both confided to James that they could see why he fancied her so much. Sirius had been more difficult to convince, especially after Lily's latest 'no' had so devastated James.

On top of the rubbish date, the Caerphilly Catapults lost the semifinal bid by over two hundred points. James Potter was in a very bad mood by the time the lot of them had headed back to the castle, but Leslie Olcott was undeterred. She was convinced she would improve the Head Boy's mood, and was willing to do whatever it took to get a second date. He tried to part with her in the Great Hall. But that didn't stop her from flinging her arms around James' neck and bringing his head down to hers and kissing him in a way most gently described as 'enthusiastic'. There was a brief internal struggle before James firmly detached himself from the Hufflepuff girl. Leslie smirked and told him that was fine with her- they could pick up where they left off later.

James made a note of the fact that slobbering on someone else's tightly sealed lips should never be misconstrued as sexy. He wondered if he ought to send Leslie this tidbit of highly valuable information in an anonymous letter, or let her find out from someone else in her own time.

And so, he turned and walked away, thanking her wryly for the lovely day. She followed, pelting him with questions about a second date, a picnic, or a moonlit stroll. None were forthcoming, and James swiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he headed toward the Portrait Hole.

"Listen," he said, turning around. "We had a good time today. Let's leave it at that, all right?"

Leslie frowned.

"But what about next weekend? We could do something together then, too."

James raised his eyebrows.  
"Next-? Leslie, look. You're a great girl," he began, and Leslie seemed to glow suddenly under this praise, "but here's the thing. I...er... I don't think I can keep up with you." It was a lame excuse, and he wasn't even really sure what it meant, but Leslie beamed at him and giggled. It was a grating, high-pitched sound.

"Ooh, Jamesie!" she said, swatting his arm playfully. "You're such a flatterer!"

Leslie stepped forward and hugged him tightly around the middle. He patted her back and then extricated himself.

"So..." he said, "goodnight."

Leslie wiggled her fingers in a wave and dashed off for the Hufflepuff common room.

Thinking he had just dodged a formidable bludger of a girl, James gave the password to the Fat Lady and headed inside. He was not prepared for what awaited him. James may have thought he had just had the worst Valentine's Day on record, but in Lily's opinion, hers had been far more horrible. From an outsider's perspective, there was absolutely no reason why she wouldn't be in an excellent mood. She had over half of her weekend's homework already completed, which meant she could spend some of Sunday relaxing. Her application to the Mungo's training program had been completed and sent in last Thursday, so that was a load off her mind. Even better, today's Hogsmeade visit had gone off without a hitch; no third-years had gotten lost, she hadn't had to escort any drunken fifth-years back to the castle. Lily herself had been accompanied by Thomas Meade a good-natured and attractive Hufflepuff with whom she often paired in Herbology class, and the date had gone rather well. Except for the one tiny problem that Thomas Meade was not the Head Boy, and James was the only one with whom Lily had wanted to go. She had only accepted Thomas' invitation after she'd overheard that _stupid_ Leslie Olcott bragging to her friends in the bathroom about how she was going with "Jaaaamesie" to Hogsmeade that weekend as his _Valentine's_ date and wasn't that just _obviously_ a sign that he'd finally gotten over that snotty Evans bint and seen the light?

She had almost wanted to burst out of her bathroom stall and give the Hufflepuff a piece of her mind. For starters, Lily was almost certain that James would be cringing in dismay to hear his supposed date saying "Jaaaaamesie" in that nasty, syrupy-sweet voice of hers. And furthermore, she did not take kindly to anyone calling her a bint. Even behind her back. But she'd stayed where she was and hadn't left her stall until she was certain Olcott and Co. had left because, however much she hated Leslie in that moment, Lily was deathly afraid that the other girl was right. She had suspected for weeks that there was something going on between James and the Hufflepuff girl, and if James had asked Leslie to Hogsmeade, even after weeks of relentless flirting and hint-dropping on Lily's part, what other explanation could there be than that he had moved on?

So when, later that afternoon and just before Herbology, Thomas had asked her about the Hogsmeade trip that weekend, she had said yes, not because she was interested in him or even knew him that well, but because she had strongly hoped that James would see them enjoying themselves together. Maybe if flirting wouldn't do the trick, jealousy would do it for her. Except that her plan had backfired. Halfway through the date, she and Thomas had trooped into the Three Broomsticks for some lunch and what should be the first sight to greet Lily's eyes as she stepped in the door? James and Leslie. And, as she had watched with increasingly horror-filled eyes, Leslie had slid up beside him on the booth seat they were sharing and leaned in close to murmur something in his ear while one of her hands ruffled his hair playfully.

Suddenly, Lily hadn't felt so hungry anymore; rather, she'd felt like flying at the stupid blonde bimbo in a murderous rage, prying her off of James and then tearing her limb from limb. Fortunately for her romantic rival, Lily had been wise enough to choose a different path. Somehow, she had managed to convince Thomas that they would be better off in a less-crowded pub, even though The Three Broomsticks was the best one in town. Once they were back out in the snowy streets and away from the vomit-inducing sight of Leslie and James, the Head Girl was able to calm down somewhat, but she had remained subdued the rest of the afternoon. Thomas was kind enough to suggest that they return early, once he had noticed his date's spirits flagging, and Lily had gratefully bid him goodbye in the Entrance Hall, feigning a headache and saying that she only needed to lie down for a brief nap. But, once she had returned to Gryffindor Tower, she couldn't sleep. Desperate for something to do, she had brought a bit of schoolwork downstairs to the Common Room, only to find she couldn't concentrate on that either. She couldn't seem to get the image of James and Leslie out of her mind, and so her assignment remained barely started, even as the hours passed and every student returned to the tower. Every student, save one. Truth be told, Lily was stung by the knowledge that, despite how hard she had tried to get him to notice her, James had chosen another girl over her. It was, perhaps, the first time that she had been overlooked, and she didn't like the feeling at all.

Just as Lily was mulling over this unhappy circumstance, she heard voices outside the closed portrait hole. One of them sounded very much like the Head Boy, and the other... ah yes. Who else but Leslie Bitch Olcott had that breathy, high-pitched giggle that she seemed to think was so sexy? Lily abandoned all pretense of doing schoolwork and concentrated instead on trying to hear what they were saying. Not ten seconds later, James himself rushed through the portrait hole, and Lily hurriedly sat up to see if Leslie was still outside in the corridor. She wished next that she hadn't looked, because she was then treated to the sight of Leslie beaming and waving after James and blowing him a sickly sweet kiss. _Ugh_! That _**cow!**_ Her green eyes narrowed and swiveled to James. Was it just her imagination, or did his hair look particularly rumpled tonight? His jumper too! And was that lipstick on his collar? So angry was she that the Head Girl didn't bother looking again to make sure that her assumptions were correct. Even if there hadn't been any lipstick on James' collar, her irate jealousy would have seen it there anyway.

Without thinking, acting on pure instinct, Lily glared up at James as he passed her armchair and sneered, "Looks like someone enjoyed himself a bit too much tonight. Does that explain why you almost missed curfew?"

He flinched away almost imperceptibly, feeling suddenly and inexplicably guilty.

"Er… hullo…" he said tentatively, wondering what on earth had brought on the venom in Lily's voice. He glanced at his watch. "I'm fifteen minutes safe, thanks. Have you..." he trailed off as her expression remained determinedly angry. "Are you all right?"

His befuddled expression only angered Lily further. How could he not know what he had done? Was he that oblivious? And didn't he know it was rude to sit there in plain sight in a public area and be all over your date? That sort of thing was only acceptable in Madame Puddifoot's, where people expected that sort of thing. But at the Three Broomsticks, _some_ people actually wanted to eat their lunch without vomiting it up at the sight of some tart of a Hufflepuff getting her hands all over one of the most infuriatingly dense specimens of Hogwarts' male population. What was this nonsense about fifteen minutes safe? That was _obviously_ beside the point.

"Oh yes," she snapped back, her hands balling into even tighter fists as they rested on her hips. "So glad you managed to pry your lips off of Olcott early enough to make it back in time."

Now that he was closer to her, she could see that there was, indeed, a bit of lipstick on his collar. That little smudge of red sent a knife of white hot pain through Lily's heart, leaving her torn between fury and hatred. She hated Leslie. She hated James. She couldn't decide which one she hated more at the moment. Why, of all the people James could take to Hogsmeade instead of her, did he have to pick _Leslie Olcott_? How could he choose her over Lily? Sure, the Hufflepuff was curvier and definitely two cup sizes bigger, but she was so _boring_. And she was stupid! And had that obnoxious laugh. And she only liked him because he was rich, popular and good at Quidditch. She didn't care that James was the smartest, wittiest, kindest, most determined and dependable person that Lily knew. All she saw was the (admittedly attractive) outer package. But no! James, brilliant young man that he was, had to choose _Leslie_ over Lily. It was unthinkable! An outrage! It was downright insulting. And it was about to send her into tears.

Heart-broken as she might have been, she was still determined not to let him know it. Swallowing hard, she blinked twice, rapidly, to keep her eyes clear. "You've lipstick on your collar, Potter," she informed him with a deprecating sneer. "Maybe next time, you could clean yourself up a bit before you return. All of Gryffindor house doesn't need to see what a sleaze their Head Boy has turned out to be."

James stared at her, mouth slightly agape. A red flush began to creep up his collar, from both Lily's unprecedented assault and the embarrassment of being shouted at in the Common Room. It appeared that the stars had aligned to mock him. His Quidditch team had performed abominably and that in and of itself was like a personal slight. And then, he had been subjected to the subtle humiliation of a girl he did not fancy trying to snog him when he had given her absolutely no indication that was what he wanted. On top of things, the girl who had broken his heart into a hundred tiny pieces was now trying to begrudge him his lukewarm date. It was all becoming a bit much for the tall, bespectacled boy. He found himself edging from staggered bewilderment to indignation.  
"Excuse me?" he snapped. "What the _hell_ are you on about, Evans?"

Here was the tricky part. While James was not interested in Leslie Olcott in the slightest, he wasn't about to crucify the girl for any traits she did or did not have. That simply was not James' style. How could you maintain status as one of the student body's most beloved if you cut girls down behind their backs? He felt a small flicker of loyalty to the somewhat dim bulb that was Leslie. Lily had no right to spit her name with such disdain, even if James had been irritated almost beyond his tolerance just minutes before. He found himself growing angry with her. This was ridiculous. What right had she to ream him out?

"I'm not a sleaze, thank you. And I don't know what you're on about- I was listening to the match at the Three Broomsticks! Ask anyone!" A note of defensiveness mingled with the panic in his tone. He glanced around, wishing he could somehow summon any of his mates to back him up. He hadn't done anything wrong. How could Lily have known that Leslie tried to snog him, anyway? He looked down at himself and saw nothing on his person that would somehow indicate that he'd kissed anyone at all. Lily had to be making this up.

"Honestly, Evans," he said coolly. "The way you're carrying on, anyone would think you were _jealous_."

For a split second, Lily froze. How had he known? Had she really been that obvious? She was not in self-denial. She knew she was extremely jealous of the probably beautiful, wonderful, happy Valentine's date that Leslie Olcott had gotten to enjoy with the object of their mutual affection, and very likely she would get to enjoy another date this coming weekend. Well okay, next weekend was Quidditch, but after that! Even though Lily had admitted her jealousy to herself, she still felt that it was warranted. Leslie didn't belong with James! She was much too shallow and silly for someone as high-minded and intelligent as James was. Still, even though the Head Boy had hit the nail on the head, Lily had no intention of actually admitting to it. Not now that he had so obviously moved on.  
She tossed her head and responded acidly, "Why would I be jealous of a- a shallow _womanizer_ like you?"

If James Potter was anything, he was most definitely not a womanizer. The young man had made his share of mistakes and had trod on some shady ground where girls were concerned, but his elderly parents had made sure to instill a strong sense of morality in their son. He wasn't the sort to cop a feel on a first date or to try and push a girl further than she wanted to go. And, despite a few rumors to the contrary, Gryffindor's Quidditch hero was a virgin. A good kisser, perhaps, and charmingly attractive, but the tousle-haired Head Boy was not out for a good romp. To be otherwise would have betrayed his parents. While they hadn't been the most conventional or even the most involved guardians of any child, they had made sure young James had known right from wrong. His mother had explained to him on multiple occasions just how to treat a lady. And so, when Lily hurled this little barb at him, the jab he felt was directed at his recently departed mother.

His temper began to rise. Just who did Lily Evans think she was? She was like a beautiful demon summoned from a vile sector of hell, out to torment him. He couldn't have her, and apparently could also not have any other girl who showed a bit of interest in him. All the unfairness and unexpressed hurt and frustration began to bubble over. James crossed his arms, hands clenched tightly so that his fingernails left little half-moons in the fleshy part of his hands. He told himself he had better watch his mouth, for the first words that came to his mind were four-lettered and none too chivalrous. He swallowed his retort and tried to find a cleaner way to tell her off.  
"Don't talk about what you don't understand, Evans," he said through gritted teeth. "Do us both a favor and leave off." He was fuming. He wanted nothing more than to go up to Gryffindor Tower, grab his Invisibility Cloak, and just leave the castle. He needed a run or something to help clear his head. And where on earth were his mates when he needed them?

"_You're_the one who doesn't understand anything, Potter," she retorted scathingly, her temper rising just as rapidly as his. Her eyes narrowed to slits and her whole body was rigid with fury as she snapped, "Now run along. I wouldn't want to keep you from the midnight rendezvous I'm sure you have planned with Olcott." With another haughty toss of her head, Lily whirled around and stalked back to her armchair, where she picked up her textbook and parchment and began to scrawl vigorously across the questionnaire that she was supposed to be answering for Charms class on Monday.

As he was so cruelly dismissed, James closed his eyes and shook his head, biting back the petulant diatribe he longed to fling at Lily. She just didn't get it. He walked silently behind her armchair, on his way up to his dormitory, and paused at the foot of the stairs, turning his head back to look at her. He couldn't read her face and realized for the first time that he didn't want to.  
"You know, Evans," he said quietly, looking at her with solemn eyes, an expression of disgust mingled with disappointment on his face. "I thought you were all right. Thanks for showing me _this_." He gestured toward her with his hand, fighting the urge to cry. All idols have feet of clay, or so the saying goes. There had never been a moment before when James disliked Lily. It was, he decided, an awful feeling. After another moment of trying to piece things together, he shook his head again and headed up the stairs to Boys Dorm 3C, and the comfort of his four-poster.

It was a very good thing that neither Head student could see the other's face, for if Lily had seen the expression on James' as he sent his parting shot her way, their relationship might have worked out quite differently. As it was, his words were bad enough. Obviously, he didn't fancy her anymore, and based on what he'd just said, he probably didn't even want to be friends with her either. Angry though she was, his rejection still stung; the pain in her heart mirrored by the stinging tears that were welling behind her tightly-shut eyelids. She was hurt, confused and frustrated almost beyond her ability to bear it. Not long after James had retreated to the boys' dormitory, Lily gave up on pretending to do her homework and hurried upstairs for the comfort of her own bed and perhaps a rant to Marlene and Mary.

The next week, as far as James and Lily were concerned, was like a regression to sixth year. Lily studiously avoided any contact other than what was absolutely necessary. Fortunately, they did not have to hold one of their bi-monthly Prefects meetings that week, and she managed to convince Remus to switch patrol times with her so that she would not have to spend an unbearable two hours at James' side. There was one tiny bright spot: it did not appear that anything had progressed further between James and Leslie. Still, Lily was too depressed to think much of this, and she assumed they had another date planned for this weekend. She couldn't even look forward to the upcoming Quidditch match, because the sport was, in her mind, so intertwined with thoughts of James. And this week without him had been absolute hell. She hadn't truly realized until now how much she had come to depend on his cheery, light-hearted presence in her day. In light of their recent falling out, Lily was terribly afraid that she'd have to learn to live with his absence from her life.

Saturday morning dawned clear and cold, but sunny; a perfect winter's day, and one especially perfect for watching a Quidditch match. This was a very important one, because if Ravenclaw lost, they were more than likely to be out of the running for the House Cup. On days like this one, James was Gryffindor's golden boy. He could do no wrong when on a broomstick, for his natural ability was amplified by the stringent training regimen he and his team held to week after week without excuse. The match was an exciting one. Ravenclaw needed to be shut out, and James and his excellent team rose to the occasion. By the time the Snitch was caught and the match ended, James had personally scored nineteen goals, and their Keeper had really proved his mettle against Ravenclaw's excellent trio of Chasers. Sirius, for his part, had been such a blur with his Beater's club that James hardly ever saw him throughout the match, except for when a penalty was given to Ravenclaw after Sirius "accidentally" hit a Bludger straight into the opposing Chaser's groin.

Of course, with the overwhelming Gryffindor victory and the House Cup that much closer within reach, the effervescent Gryffindors, with considerable help from Remus and Peter, threw together a victory party in the Common Room that was sure to become the stuff of legend. The Marauders had long since learned that liquor helped a party burn brighter and had begun to store large quantities of it behind a landscape of Notre-Dame on the seventh floor. Remus and Peter knew to start the party while James wrapped things up with his team in the locker rooms. When James and Sirius arrived along with the rest of the team, their entrance was heralded by many thumps on the back and congratulations. James was beaming, full of pride at his team's performance. Almost immediately, he fell in talk with a few fifth-years who were eager to replay a few of his more daring goals.

Of course, the victory somehow felt hollow. As he was regaled with tales of what he had just accomplished, James let his thoughts wander. Out of habit, he supposed, he had still searched the crowd for Lily's face as he completed a lap of honor after a rather spectacular penalty shot. And then, again, when he had dodged two bludgers and the other teams' Beater to score another goal through the rightmost hoop. And then when nothing interesting was going on at all, just to see if she was watching. He was pathetic. Even after they'd rowed (over what, he was still unclear), he couldn't bring himself to actually move past her. He missed her. As much as they sniped at each other, as much as she got under his skin, he could not deny that life without her seemed incomplete. His fleeting feeling of dislike had ebbed quickly the week before, and he had wanted to find a way to take back the awful things he'd said to her. And yet, he was always foiled. It didn't help things that Leslie Olcott had taken to surprising him around corners, squealing "Jamesie!" and trying to hug him. She was supposed to show up, he realized, and said a quick "see you!" to the fifth-years, heading for the drink table where he had just seen Lily ordering a drink. He hesitated, unsure of what he would say to her. That moment cost him the opportunity, and she moved away, drink in hand. He sighed and stepped up to the table where Sirius was pouring drinks. Maybe liquor would help him find the words...

Leslie did show up, two minutes later, a fact which only convinced Lily further that there was something going on between she and James, especially when the blonde made a beeline for the hero of the hour and wrapped herself around his arm. Lily's nose wrinkled, and she hurried to the other side of the room to avoid having to hear Leslie's obnoxious cooing and ahhing over the Head Boy's considerable prowess on the pitch. If it was going to be like this all night, she was going to need more than one drink to make it through. Thus, she tipped her head back and began making fast work of the one she had just procured. Two rum and cokes into the night, and she was near to being totally sloshed.

By this point, someone had conjured up a record player and massive speakers, and music was booming around the room. The furniture had been pushed against the walls to make room for a dance floor and there were now dozens of couples grooving the night away. With rather unfocused eyes, Lily scanned the makeshift dance floor and found that Leslie and James were not among the partners. Excellent. She could really use a good groove right now. Setting her empty glass aside, she tottered over to Mary and Marlene (who were both far more sober than she), grabbed each girl's hand and pulled them out into the twisting, swaying, swirling crowd with her.

"C'mon girls! Let's loosen up a bit!" she slurred, then raised her arms over her head and began to dance. Mary and Marlene exchanged a glance. Although neither girl felt much like dancing at the moment, they could both see that their friend was not in full possession of her faculties and was likely to need some looking after. So they complied with Lily's request and began dancing along with her.

One song later, Lily felt a hand tap her shoulder. She turned around, swaying slightly, and asked, "Yeah?"

"You're looking good tonight, Evans," the shoulder-tapper said with a practiced, arrogant grin. "Fancy a dance with me?"

Lily glanced back at her friends, who were watching in mild apprehension. The boy in question was one Tristan Bishop, who had a track record with women similar to Sirius Black's. In normal circumstances, Lily would have flatly turned him down, not willing to even toy with someone as immature and cruel as Tristan. But tonight, she was much too drunk to really think beyond the fact that here was a charming, highly attractive boy who was actually interested in her and wanted to dance with her. That was more than she could say about _some_ of the men at Hogwarts. So she smiled winsomely and favored Tristan with a flutter of her lashes as she cooed drunkenly, "Why thank'ya, Tristan. I'd love t'dance w'th'you."

"Excellent," he responded, grabbing for her hand. "If you'll excuse us, ladies." And, with a parting smile to Marlene and Mary, he led Lily through the dancers to a spot closer to the speakers and (though Lily was far too sloshed to notice this) closer to the corner of the room in which all of the sofas and armchairs were pushed and where a couple or two were already taking advantage of the comfort and relative privacy this afforded.

As the night wore on, the party-goers became increasingly less sober; the drinks Sirius was pouring would have inebriated a centaur. James felt himself growing a bit fuzzy as the liquor he'd consumed took its effect. Instead of a moment in which all was made clear, he found his thoughts fleeing with his sobriety. One thing was on his mind, however, and that was Lily Evans. Even Leslie, with her provocative clothing and the brazen way she pressed her figure against his as they danced, could not distract him from searching over the crowd for Lily's hair. After a few moments of dancing, he realized that this was not at all what he wanted. He turned away, searching through the throng of people for the girl he couldn't seem to grasp. He was misled a few times by girls with coppery hair, but upon closer inspection, each lacked the fine features or near-tangible kindness that was such an integral part of Lily's person.

Leslie tugged on his arm.

"Jamesie!" she cried. "Dance with me-e-e-e."

"I'm for the loo," he said briefly. "Be back." This, of course was a lie. But Leslie wasn't about to follow him there. Or, at least he hoped not. This was, however, a very good excuse to search through the mess of tipsy or drunk students that crowded Gryffindor Tower. When he was about to give up, he finally spotted her, dancing quite closely with Tristan Bishop, a Ravenclaw boy known for being somewhat of a Casanova, but without the class. James' neck immediately flushed. So that was it, then? Lily wouldn't go out with him, but she'd let some known tosser put his hands all over her? Something in James simply snapped. He edged through the crowd, delayed several times by people putting themselves in his way for a word.

"'Scuse me, only take a minute," he kept repeating. He didn't have a plan, but he knew he would not stand for this. The humiliation Lily still brought upon him! And yet, he recognized as he wove through the swaying crowd, he was fiercely jealous. Besotted though he was, he felt a more than a bit protective of Lily, despite their harsh words and estranged friendship. That Bishop bloke had no right to touch her like that, to brush his hands across her chest, to hold her so tightly. It wasn't possessiveness James felt in this moment as he realized Tristan was edging the pair of them to a more private corner. Righteous indignation flared in his heart. What sort of scum was Tristan, anyway? Couldn't he see Lily was drunk? He was deliberately taking advantage of her. Lily- poor Lily! - would never allow this if she were sober. She would be humiliated tomorrow when she regained her senses. No. James could not let this go on. Not to his Lily. His girl deserved better than this.

Stepping forward into the little alcove in which Tristan was very nearly pawing Lily without shame, James shoved the other boy backward.

"Get off of her, you bastard!" he growled as Tristan staggered back a pace or two. Lily squeaked as Tristan bumped into her, throwing her off-balance.

"What's the matter, Potter? Jealous?" Tristan sneered, reaching out a hand to grab hold of Lily's. "Can't stand she won't have you? Fuck off, Gryffindor!"

James gritted his teeth.

"Hands off her, Bishop," he said, an authoritative note in his voice, "or so help me, you'll wish you'd never laid a finger on her!"

"Oh, I've gotten more than just a _finger_, Potter-" Tristan taunted. But whatever the boy was about to say was lost as James drew back his arm and threw a punch that landed squarely on Tristan Bishop's face. Before Lily even realized what was happening, her dance partner was lying flat on the floor, on his back, with blood beginning to trickle out of his nose.

She stood motionless, frozen in place. She was shocked. She was drunk. She was embarrassed. And somehow, her inebriated mind had come up with the explanation that all of this was James' fault. If he hadn't played fast and loose with her heart and left her in the dust for that stupid Hufflepuff girl. If he hadn't shown up and knocked out her dancing partner. If he would stop being so damn charming so she could get over him. If he would just...

Finally, the damn burst and she snarled, "Go _away_, Potter! What the hell do you think you're doing?! Thanks for ruining my night _again_." It was difficult to maintain a hard, angry demeanor when the whole room was swaying around you, but Lily gave it her best shot, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring daggers at James with harsh, unfocused jade green eyes. The embarrassment and guilt she had initially felt were soon followed by shame and anger over the fact that it had been James to discover her in this compromising situation. Somehow, she still cared what he thought about her.

"I _ruined your night_?" James repeated, indignant. "How the hell did you come to that, Evans?" His tone turned sarcastic, deflecting the clenching humiliation that began to creep in on his conscience. He hadn't begun to feel any sort of remorse for what he had done until Lily had spoken. Sometimes, it seemed as though she alone could get him to check his actions.

"Well, _sorry_, then. Sorry I ruined your chances of getting some class-act to have a chance to be all over you. You know that's what he was on about, don't pretend to be innocent. But that's what you wanted? Merlin, Lily, I thought I knew you!" The pain of this was driving his words out of his mouth. They seemed to spill over his teeth with no chance of his being able to stop them. "I don't understand you. I was trying to _help_!"

"If you wanted to help, you would _go away_ so I can continue forgetting all about you and your stupid, oblivious self!" Lily shrieked, her fury rising even higher. Who did he think he was, her father? He had no right to stand there talking to her like that! Why, he'd just basically insinuated that she was_easy_. She wasn't going to let anything go that far. She'd just wanted to dance and laugh and for just one night forget about James and horribly painful fact that he didn't fancy her anymore and she'd lost any chance she ever had with him.

"I don't understand _you_!" she snapped, irritated, "So you don't want me, but no one else can have me either? I am so sick of you and your- your _games_. Leave me alone!"

Lily couldn't bear this any longer. The pain, the humiliation, the frustration were all too much for her heart to handle. She hated fighting with him like this, but she didn't know what else to do. Now that the party was ruined for her, she only wanted to be alone somewhere. But no. He couldn't leave well enough alone. Couldn't stay with his own friends and continue letting Olcott rub herself all over him. Lily had seen Leslie's version of "dancing" when she had been showing it to James fifteen minutes ago. That was the reason she'd agreed to her third drink of the night. The room had suddenly become too hot and too crowded for her to stand it. Lunging forward, she shoved James aside with as much force and fury as she could muster and began staggering her way out through the crowd, headed for the portrait hole and the promise of a silent, empty classroom in which she could mourn the ruination of her most cherished dream.

James' alcohol-clouded mind tried to sort through the last few words exchanged, trying to glean any missed information from what had been said. She was trying to forget him? None of this was making sense. Everything that was coming out of Lily's mouth was simply supporting James' long-held belief that girls were mental and spoke a more complex language that was all about allusions and hidden meanings. Try as he might to crack this code, he simply could not figure it out. He stared at Lily, trying to work things out as her expression morphed from fury to pain and back to anger again. A tiny, faint flicker of hope blossomed unsummoned in his heart. Something registered in his brain that didn't quite translate to the rest of his conscience. It began to slowly grow more clear, like a badly-tuned radio squealing through a curtain of static. James realized that what he had seen was a reflection of his own misery.

Instantly, his mind was whirling. Everything she was saying was clear and crisp and bright and he understood what she meant. He had, in this tiny beat of time, broken through the manacles of girlspeak. That very thought had only just crossed his own mind minutes before. The preposterousness of it almost made him laugh. He, not want Lily? It was nonsensical. How could she ever, ever think that? Her words held a deeper meaning- one that James snatched and clung on to like a lifeline. He was trying to work out a way to tell her how wrong she was and explain himself when he felt himself be shoved backward and out of her way as she ran past him. He tried to catch up with her, calling out her name, begging her to wait just a moment, come back, please, but she was determined. He was held up once more by a few of his friends, telling him it was best to let her go. He shook them off and wove through the group of students, many of whom were watching the scene with mild amusement.

Once out in the corridor, James turned sharply to the left and right, trying to find her. He was about to call out her name when he spotted her hurrying down the left-hand corridor, her walk a bit unsteady. He lengthened his stride, doing his best to catch up with her before she had a chance to disappear on him.

Lily had no real plan about where she would escape to, so she turned left down the corridor. Half a minute later, she heard James calling after her again, and she picked up her pace, disappearing around a corner. Lily had almost made it to the first classroom doorway when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and heard James' voice behind her, asking her to stop. Much as she wanted to, she couldn't deny him, so she remained still and let him turn her around to face him.

"Lily, wait. Please."

Her expression, as she lifted her head, was that of utmost misery. There were unshed tears glistening in her eyes as she raised them to his, silently pleading him to end this torture and let her go in peace. Why oh why was he looking at her like that? Didn't he know it only made things worse? Lily was about to brush the hand off of her shoulder when James lifted it of his own accord and cupped her cheek. Slowly, gently, he tipped her face upward and leaned down, his eyelids falling closed as he kissed her.

Lily froze, her mind reeling for just one second, and then she sagged against him, her eyes closing as she savored the moment she had been dreaming about for months now. As her lips moved urgently beneath his, all of the pain and confusion from the past week seemed to melt away. Her whole world narrowed and centered around she and James, and for the first time in a long time, she was blissfully content. Her lips parted in a happy sigh, and she stepped closer, looping her arms around James' neck as they continued to kiss in the dim, silent corridor.

For all of fifteen seconds, she was on cloud nine. And then reality kicked in like a bolt of lightening and shot her out of the sky, kicking and screaming back down to earth. For Lily had none of James' recent epiphany to give her any sort of hope. To her, this was merely a cruel sort of joke. The one thing she wanted most in all the world was for James to hold her close like this, but he had made clear he would have none of that. And yet here he was, taunting her with just a little taste of a heaven she could never have. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she twisted her way out of the circle of his arms, turning her head away because she couldn't bear to look at him.

"I can't do this," she muttered, then pushed her way past him for the second time that night and fled back down the corridor.

James couldn't understand. She couldn't do this? What was that supposed to mean? He fancied her, she fancied him- what was the problem? They had been such a long time in coming down this road, and now the ground was being pulled out from under him. Did she think he was playing about? Because if so, she had another thing coming. He tripped over his own shoelace in his attempt to chase after her, nearly falling to the ground in the process.

"Wait!" he called out, reaching out a hand as if to stay her once more. But she had left him in the hallway without a backward glance.

He stood there a long moment, putting a hand to his mouth and touching his lips gently. It was like the ghost of her lingered there. If only she would have stayed, James was sure he would have been able to fix everything.


	17. A Long Time Coming

Author's Note: Dearest and most faithful readers, we regret to inform you that this will be our last update until August. Lindsey will have very limited Internet access at her summer job, and I (Amy) will be busy with my own summer job plus grad school. Of course, the writing bug might bite me so hard that I just might churn out some one shots for you. Or we might find a way to get another chapter or two written. However, if nothing is posted until August, never fear! It is not a sign we are abandoning our story, but a necessary consequence of a busy summer. Thank you all very much for all your support and constructive criticism in your reviews. We love you dearly, and we'll see you in August!

The next morning found James blearily stumbling through the boys' dormitory over sleeping bodies on his way to the showers. He would have used the Prefect's Bath, but it was early yet (only eleven o'clock!) and he didnt much feel like wandering all over the castle. The events of the previous night had had quite the sobering effect on the young man, and he was thankfully bereft of a hangover. Alcohol, he decided, had been a very bad choice, except for the fact that it somehow won him a moment with Lily. The memory of Lily's lips on his own, her arms around him were enough to buoy his hopes. Little nagging doubts kept trying to convince him that it had all been a dream, a lark, a sham, but he jammed those to the back seat of his heart. She _had_ kissed him, as surely as Professor McGonagall had shown up and given them all detention and deducted one hundred points from Gryffindor. The events of the previous night had all happened very quickly, it seemed, as everything seemed to have run together.

But why had she run off? It made no sense. In his moment of lucidity, he had been so sure that the reason for her odd behavior these past few weeks was due to some notion of hers that she fancied him. And she had kissed him back; that truth was undeniable. But it made absolutely no sense that once he realized what was going on, once he finally acted on his feelings of the past several years, that she would dash away from him. Was she continuing this little teeeter-totter game of loves-me, loves-me-not? Girls were maddening creatures, he decided as he stepped into the shower, the hot water soothing his aching muscles from the previous day's match. It was a wonder anyone could stand to fall in love at all.

Once dressed and clean, he took out the Marauders' Map and set about finding Lily. She was not, as he suspected, holed up in the girls dormitories. After six whole minutes of searching, he located her in some small and unremarkable cubby-hole of the Library, somewhere behind the Restricted Section. His stomach gave a jolt and his heart sped up. He took a deep breath and pocketed the map. This was it. He was going to try once more to work things out. Maybe, just maybe, last night hadn't been a mistake. He certainly believed that those fifteen seconds, however brief, were the best yet of his life. If he was exceedingly lucky, and the stars smiled on him, it was good for Lily, too.

Whoever had said that you don't remember anything you do while drunk had lied, because the first thing that had come to Lily's mind when she woke up was the memory of James' lips on hers and his arms encircling her waist. Her mind had then gone into rewind, and she had cringed in her own bed as she mentally relived the debacle of her dancing with Tristan and James' disgusted face as he'd told her he didn't really know her at all. Placing a hand over her eyes, she had flopped back against her pillow and groaned, wondering how she was ever going to face him again. It was out of shame more than a desire to be a good student that she had ensconced herself behind the last row of books in the Restricted Section with a pile of textbooks and parchment in front of her. James rarely set foot inside the library; it was the last place he'd think to look for her.

The fact that she was going to have to face James sooner or later was one that Lily was dead set on ignoring for now. She was quite certain that he now thought she was some sort of horrid, snipey little tart who thought nothing of dirty dancing with one bloke and snogging another five minutes later. Why oh why had she kissed him, when he had made it abundantly clear that he'd moved on? And why had _he_ kissed _her_ when, not ten minutes before, he'd been dancing quite cozily with his Valentine's date? Yes, Lily had seen Leslie's version of "dancing" last night. That was the reason she'd agreed to her third drink of the evening. It was obvious that James and Leslie were together now, so why had he followed her out into the corridor and then kissed her? Lily did not know what to make of his behavior, or of hers for that matter, and so she had decided to cloister herself away in the farthest corner of the library and bury her woes in a pile of homework.

Thinking that she had found a very good hiding place, Lily began working her way through the stack of assignments in front of her. Thanks to a great deal of will-power and concentration, she managed to lose herself in her school work, and was greatly surprised when, half an hour later, she heard a very familiar voice greet her: "Er.. Hey, Evans."

Dropping her quill in shock, Lily whirled around to face James. She was so surprised that he had found her this quickly that her response was the first thing that came to mind.

"How'd you find me so fast?" she blurted out. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Now he would know she had been trying to hide from him.

James blinked, taken aback by the question, and replied, "Er.. I asked around."

"Okay..," Lily responded, feeling quite stupid. After a beat, she turned back around and resumed taking notes from the giant tome open beside her on the table. Maybe, if she were very lucky, he would just go away.

James, however, did no such thing. He remained standing awkwardly a few feet away from her table and asked, "Could I have a word?"

The quill she had been writing with paused over the parchment as Lily felt her heart begin to pound. Swallowing hard, she nodded, "Sure," and resumed writing, trying her best to remain nonchalant.

Up to this point, Lily's behavior towards him had been anything but encouraging, but James pressed doggedly onward. He had had enough of the weeks of confusion and wondering what she was playing at. It was time things were settled between them. Edging cautiously forward, he took a seat in the chair next to hers. She continued her note-taking and gave no sign that she had seen him move. Swallowing, he glanced down at his hands for a moment and then broke the silence, asking, "Erm, so about last night.. Why... why did you...?" He trailed off uncertainly, hoping she would understand what he was getting at.

Lily's quill paused again, and she stared down at the parchment in front of her. Her heart was literally throbbing in her chest; it was pounding so loudly she was certain James could hear it. This was exactly why she had hidden away in the Library. She wasn't sure she wanted to have this conversation, because she was dreadfully afraid that she would find out the worst: that he _was_ with Leslie and their kiss had just been some... odd whim.

When she remained silent, James tried again, "Lily, what happened last night?"

Forcing herself to speak, Lily responded, "I.. I don't know. I'm sorry I yelled at you and.. you know." She risked a glance up at him, but he was staring down at his hands again, and she could not read his expression.

He shook his head, "I just don't know why you.. why you ran off."

This time, Lily actually did look up at him, confusion written plainly on her face. "Because you're with Olcott now!" she said, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why'd you even want to go.. _kissing_ me when you're seeing her?"

James' head snapped up, and the utter bewilderment on his face mirrored Lily's expression. How on earth had she come to that conclusion? He certainly hoped Leslie hadn't begun spreading that rumor about the school.

"Who told you that?" he asked.

"I didn't- well you- isn't it," Lily stuttered. Taking a deep breath, she began again. "I saw you two at Hogsmeade. And at the party. Everyone's talking about it, so.." She trailed off again, unable to finish the sentence and ask if the rumors were true.

James shook his head and said quietly, "Lily, the only reason I've even been hanging around her is so I can try and get over you."

She stared at him for a full three seconds, trying to process this new information, then asked, "You've... so that's.. but why?"

Even though she'd asked, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear his response. Of course he didn't fancy her anymore. They'd had that huge fight last week. And before that had been that incident at the Prefects meeting when she'd made a fool of herself dressing like a tart.

James grimaced and hesitated just a moment before deciding it was time to let the truth be known.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you, I guess," he said. "I figured out that 'no' meant 'no,' and you wanted me to leave you alone. And I thought I was doing good, but I slipped up last night. I don't know, but it's been really difficult these last few weeks. I guess I've been reading into your-" he broke off, trying to find a way to phrase 'you've been coming on rather strong and I've been using all my self-discipline and respect for women to keep myself from jumping you' delicately. He couldn't. "Er, well, nevermind. You don't want to hear it, I'm sure, but I'm definitely not over you."

As he spoke, Lily's expression changed from nervous to disbelieving to excited. _He wasn't over her! _So then... last night's kiss had meant something to him after all! Before he could continue, she cut off his speech by reaching out and laying her hand over his.

"James," she began, biting her lip nervously. "I'm not sorry you kissed me at all. And I'm very glad you're not over me."

"What are you on about?" he demanded, not daring to believe what he was hearing.

Lily suppressed a chuckle and asked, "You haven't noticed?"

He remained silent, holding his breath as the hope he had felt last night flamed once more in his chest.

Lily giggled, "I knew boys were kind of slow sometimes, but I didn't think you were _that_ thick."

"You mean you... _Really_?" he asked.

Grinning and nodding, she informed him, "Mr. Potter, I'm afraid I've been harboring a terribly large fancy for you these past couple of months. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind?" he asked, his grin matching her own. "Hardly. I...er.. was wondering if you'd like to go out with me." Even as the question left his lips, he felt his smile widening. Unless he was very much mistaken, this would be the last time he'd ever ask Lily that question again.

"How 'bout this afternoon then?" was her immediate answer. Realizing that she didn't want to appear _too_ eager, she amended with, "Er.. unless- I mean unless you're busy."

James merely laughed. Her eagerness was encouraging and, if he did say so himself, adorable.

"Oh, so you _do_ fancy me," he teased, eyes twinkling behind his glasses. If he had had any doubts this morning about what her feelings for him were, they were now vanished entirely.

"Didn't I just say that?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Reinforcement is always a good thing," he explained.

"Oh," she said, smiling sheepishly. "I suppose I did spend rather a long time telling you the opposite."

James waved his hand and said, "It's irrelevant." He hesitated just a moment before leaning forward and asking, "May I...?"

Blushing, she scanned the shelves around them to make sure they were indeed alone. Lily did not intend to have her first sober kiss with James to be ruined by a voyeuristic fourth year or, worse, Madame Pince's tutting disapproval. A glance around their alcove revealed that they were indeed alone, so she leaned forward and touched her lips softly to his. It was every bit as glorious as her drunken brain had remembered. In fact, it was even better, because this time she was not plagued by last night's fears and doubts.

James pulled back after a few moments and grinned down at her. There again was the light in his eyes that had not been there all term.

"_Excellent_," he murmured, and before Lily could protest that she hadn't been finished kissing him, he leaned forward to claim her lips again.

This time when they broke apart, Lily was breathless and, like James, unable to stop smiling.

"Even better than I remembered," she said, reaching for his hand again. "So um.. does this mean we're.. you know.. official now?"

His answer was immediate: "Yes! I mean, if that's what you want. Cos that's definitely what I want."

If possibly, Lily's smile stretched even wider, and she gave his hand a squeeze as she assured him, "I definitely do."

There was a brief silence in which both Lily and James contemplated their immense good fortune. Then she broke it by asking, "You really never stopped liking me?"

James shrugged and replied, "It's one of the few things I've ever completely failed at."

Much as she had come to admire his determination, Lily was unspeakably grateful that, in this one instance, it had failed him. Laughing, she responded, "Well I'm certainly glad you did. I thought for sure you and Olcott would-"

But James, it seemed, had no desire to discuss his ever-persistent Valentine's date. "Lily, please," he interrupted her, rolling his eyes and leaning forward to kiss her again. This was an ingenious method of shutting Lily up, because the instant their lips met, she forgot all about Leslie Olcott. Indeed, it was difficult to think about anything but James when he was kissing her just like she'd been wanting him to for months.

Before either of them could get too carried away, he pulled away and asked, "Want to get out of here?"

Lily nodded eagerly and began packing her school things back into her bag. As soon as she finished, James reached for the bag and slung it over his shoulder, saying, "Here, let me."

Surprised but pleased, Lily thanked him and linked her hand with his as they made their way out of the library together. Once they were out in the corridor where it was safe to talk again, she asked, "So what _do_ you want to do today?"

James grinned down at her, still hardly able to believe that she was asking him such a question, and replied, "Well I dunno. It's not too cold for a walk, is it?"

"Not with you to keep me warm," she said, giving him a saucy wink.

He laughed and squeezed her hand, saying, "All right then."

"I guess we could get our cloaks too," Lily added as an afterthought.

"Probably a good idea," he agreed.

They continued in companionable silence for a while until a thought occurred to Lily.

"Ohhh you know, if we're going to take a walk, we really ought to go and see Hagrid. Let him know we're dating and all," she said, feeling a little thrill that she had just been able to say they were dating for the first time. Whether or not they made it out to Hagrid's today, she couldn't wait to deliver the news to their other friends.

James, too, felt slightly giddy about the prospect of letting Hagrid (or the whole castle, or actually the whole world) know that Lily Evans had finally agreed to date him.

"All right!" he agreed, then added in more sober tones, "And.. I'm sorry about last night. About punching out your date. I probably embarrassed you."

"Oh..," Lily began to blush again at the memory of her antics last night.

"He wasn't my date, but yeah I sorta think I did a pretty good job of that on my own," she said sheepishly. "I should probably thank you for um.. stepping in. I didn't mean for anything to happen, I just saw-" She stopped and took a breath, deciding to summarize rather than rehash old grievances. "It's been a pretty awful week."

"Yeah," James agreed, smiling down at her as he spoke. "But not anymore. Not now."

Lily nodded her agreement, then her expression brightened as she said, "Oh! I didn't get a chance to tell you yesterday, but congratulations on the win. That was a spectacular game."

"Thanks," he grinned, and his steps slowed as they had now reached the Fat Lady's portrait.

Lily gave the password, then turned to James and reached for her school bag that was still slung over his shoulder, "I can take that upstairs when I get my cloak. Thanks for carrying it for me."

"My pleasure," he said, gesturing for her to step through the portrait hole ahead of him. They entered the Gryffindor Common Room to find that it was not as deserted as they had thought it would be. Several students were already awake and lounging around, among them were Remus and Sirius, who were seated on the Marauders' usual couch doing homework, and Marlene, who was writing at a desk near the window. The boys were the first to look up and notice who had just walked in.

Sirius called out, "Oi, Prongs, where've ya be-" but he stopped mid-sentence when he realized that the two Head students were standing rather closely side by side and that they were _holding hands_. After witnessing Lily and James' last, spectacular public row the night before at the party, he certainly hadn't been expecting this.

"Real or prank?" he asked of James.

His best mate grinned and answered, "Real. Definitely real."

"Good one, you two," Remus said, smiling with genuine pleasure at the news.

By this point, Marlene had looked up from her writing and had also noticed James and Lily's linked hands. She rushed over to stand beside the boys' couch and asked Lily, "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Nodding, Lily said, "Yeah. We er.. worked things out."

"Finally!" Marlene exclaimed. "Oh my golly! This is so- Oh just let me go wake Mary up!" Wringing her hands in utter delight, she raced up the girls' staircase, calling for Mary as she ascended.

Sirius watched her go with amusement glimmering in his grey eyes.

"Hm, well all I've got to say is that it's about bloody time, Red," he teased Lily.

She was about to argue back, but decided better of it and merely rolled her eyes as she called after Marlene, "Tell her to hurry up. James and I only came back to get our cloaks."

"Oh ho!" Sirius exclaimed, smirking at James. "Headed out for a little _alone_ time are you?"

James flushed and asked defensively, "What's it to you?"

Sirius burst into laughter, but Remus shook his head and said, "Sometimes your immaturity is just plain embarrassing, Padfoot."

At this moment, a pyjama-clad Mary ran downstairs, followed closely by Marlene, and made a beeline for Lily.

"Lily!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her. "Oh I'm so excited for you!"

Lily released James' hand and staggered backwards a bit as Mary collided with her, but she returned the embrace, saying, "Thanks. I am too."

Mary released her and stepped back to make room for Marlene, who held out Lily's cloak to her with a teasing smirk.

"I went ahead and got your cloak for you, so you two can get back to your.. 'walk'," she teased.

James, who was actually blushing now, said, "I'll just head up for mine..." and darted up the stairs.

"I'll wait down here," Lily told him, then turned to glare at Marlene and Mary, who were both trying half-heartedly to hide their laughter.

"But really, we're pleased as punch, Lil," said Marlene, once she had control of herself again.

"Did this just now happen?" Mary asked. "Is that why you were already gone when we woke up?"

Lily nodded and leaned against the side of the couch.

"Mhm. I was erm.. hiding out in the library, and he found me and-," she began to explain, then paused, realizing this was a very long story that she didn't actually want to get into at the moment. "Actually it's kind of a long story," she amended. "I promise I'll fill you in tonight, but..." And she gestured behind them, where James was descending the boys' staircase, cloak in hand.

"I suppose that's the best we can ask for," Mary said. Though she was disappointed about having to wait for the full story, she understood Lily's desire to spend some time with her boyfriend to celebrate their new relationship. And, after all that Lily had been through in the past couple of months, Mary certainly did not begrudge her the alone time with James.

Marlene, while she understood as well, couldn't resist the urge to tease her friend a bit more.

"All right, we'll wait, but make sure you return to the castle at a reasonable hour tonight, Miss Evans," she said, wagging her finger at Lily in an impression of their Head of House. "I don't want to see you out past curfew."

Lily rolled her eyes and responded, "Yes ma'am," as James took his place beside her again.

"Ready?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

She nodded and turned toward the portrait hole, calling over her shoulder, "Bye, everyone!"

"You two behave yourselves," Sirius called after them. "Set a good example for the kiddies."

Lily chose not to respond to this comment. Instead, she looked up at James as they stepped out into the corridor and asked, "We're going to have to put up with that for the next couple of weeks, aren't we?"

"Probably," he answered honestly. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled fondly down at her and added, "But I'm willing to put up with quite a lot now that I finally have the pleasure of dating you."

"Ditto," she said, smiling as well.

When they reached the castle doors and walked out into the biting February wind, Lily was very glad that she had suggested they go get their cloaks before visiting Hagrid's cabin. James, on the other hand, was glad for the wind, because it gave him an excuse to loop his arm around Lily's waist and hold her closely against his side as they trudged down the snowy path together.

"Cold?" he asked, having seen her shiver the moment they stepped outside.

She responded by snaking her left arm around him so she could huddle closer to his side.

"Not anymore," she said.

As much as they were enjoying their newfound freedom to walk with their arms thus entwined, both James and Lily were glad to reach Hagrid's cabin. Based on the smoke rising from the chimney, they surmised the Gamekeeper was at home, so James lifted his left hand and knocked soundly on the door. A few seconds later, the wooden door swung open and Hagrid peered out into the now-blustering wind.

"James? Lily?" he asked, clearly surprised to see them. "What're yeh doin' walkin' round in this weather? C'm'in! C'm'in. I'll put some tea on." Stepping aside, he motioned for them to come inside and out of the wind. Only when the door was shut behind them did Hagrid notice that both his guests were standing in his doorway with their arms around each other. His brow furrowed further as his confusion mounted.

"Hold on- why're yeh- are yeh really...?" he stuttered.

James chuckled and answered the question he knew Hagrid was getting at: "Yes. We're dating. As of about an hour ago, in fact. That's sort of the reason for our visit."

"We thought you ought to be one of the first to know," Lily explained. "Since, back in November... you know."

Hagrid nodded, remembering the conversation well. He had suspected, even then, that there was something going on between his two young friends.

"Well it's taken yeh long enough," he said, moving into the kitchen to put on the promised pot of tea. "But I'm happy fer both'f yeh. How's the rest of yer school year been goin'? It's been awhile since I've seen either of yeh."

"Well enough, I suppose," Lily answered as she and James took seats around Hagrid's kitchen table. "Pretty soon we'll have to start studying in earnest for N.E.W.T.S., but things aren't so bad right now."

"I don't doubt both of yeh'll do fine," said Hagrid. "But I certainly wouldn't want ter be in yer shoes."

"We'll manage," James said, shrugging off the worry of their examinations with his usual confidence, "I'm more worried about the Quidditch season."

"Really?" Hagrid asked, "I watched the match yesterday. Yer team made an amazin' showin'."

"Yeah but it's looking as though we'll be playing Hufflepuff again in the final," James explained, "And we've got to win that match. There's a League scout coming, you know."

Hagrid nodded sagely, "And yer thinkin' of tryin' out fer a League team, I s'pose."

"Yeah I'm thinking about it," James answered.

"He's also applying to the Auror Academy," Lily interjected, a note of pride in her voice.

Hagrid gave James a smile of approval and commented, "That's good teh hear. I reckon th'Aurors could use a talented wizard like you, James." He turned his gaze to Lily and asked, "What about you?"

"I'm applying for the training program at St. Mungo's," she answered.

"Well if the Ministry has any sense, they'll accept both of yeh," Hagrid said and rose to his feet to take the tea kettle, which had begun to sing, off the stove. As he returned to the table with three steaming mugs of tea, he added, "Though I don' think Hogwarts'll be nearly as excitin' when both of yeh're gone."

"Yeah...," James agreed, staring rather glumly into his mug. Then he mustered his usual cheerfulness and steered the conversation toward lighter topics. An hour later, he and Lily bid Hagrid farewell and ambled up to the castle. By now, the wind had died down and the sun was beginning to look as though it might peek through the cloud cover. As they neared the front doors of the castle, James looked down at Lily and asked, "What d'you want to do now?"

She hesitated a moment, biting her lip in indecision, then answered reluctantly, "I hate to say it, but I really do have homework to do." Seeing James' face begin to fall, she added, "We could do it together, though. Then we'd be done faster, and we'll have more time to celebrate."

"All right," he agreed, unable to argue with her reasoning. His pile of homework was, after all, rather large. "What do you have to work on?"

"Mostly my Charms essay for tomorrow. But I haven't quite finished our Potions assignment either."

"And I have yet to start either one," he admitted.

"Of course not," Lily teased. "I'll warn you, Mr. Potter. Just because I'm dating you doesn't mean I'll let you copy all my answers."

"Your lack of faith wounds me to the core," he protested, staring down at her with an exaggeratedly insulted expression.

Lily merely giggled and stood up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Her prediction, however, did turn out to be true. After just over three hours of work in the back corner of the common room, they had both finished their assignments for tomorrow. They had even found time for a couple of "study breaks," though in their case the term only loosely applied.

"Free at last," James exclaimed, scribbling down the last phrase of his essay with a flourish and unceremoniously shoving his school things to the floor beside the sofa that he and Lily were currently sharing.

She looked up from her book and smiled wryly at him, "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" She had finished her own essay a short while ago and had been amusing herself with some light reading while she waited for James to complete his.

"Guess not. Must've been the company," he responded, flashing her a teasing grin. "C'mere." Leaning over, he pulled the novel from Lily's hands and gestured for her to join him on his side of their sofa. She willingly obliged, scooting over to nestle underneath his encircling arm and lean her head on his shoulder.

"You know," he commented softly, "I think you're going to be a good influence on me, Lils."

"Really?" she asked, surprised but flattered.

"Mhm," he responded. "I mean, you have been already. I think that's why I'm so crazy over you."

Lily smiled and lifted her head to press a kiss to his cheek, murmuring, "That's sweet of you to say, James."

"It's true though," he said, turning to his head to catch her lips in a brief kiss. Their assignments completed, they spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other's company with some pleasant conversation, several more bouts of kissing and even a brief nap, as neither one had gotten much sleep the night before. By the time the clock over the mantle rang for seven o'clock, they were feeling very relaxed indeed.

Yawning, Lily sat up slowly and stretched her arms over her head.

"Ready for dinner?" she asked.

James smirked and answered, "That's generally not a question you have to ask a seventeen-year-old lad."

"All right then, Mr. Perpetually Starving," Lily said, rolling her eyes, "Let's go get you some food."

Hand in hand, they left the Gryffindor Common Room and made their way downstairs. They were just about to enter the Great Hall when James spied a familiar blonde head and came to a halt. Leslie Olcott was standing at the far end of the corridor, chatting with a circle of her friends. Though he did not exactly relish the idea, something told James that, in order to be a gentleman, he ought to be the one to tell Leslie that any chance she might have had with him was over, rather than just let her hear it through the Hogwarts gossip mill. Glancing down at Lily, he said, "Wait for me here, will you? I sort of think she should hear about us from me." He jerked his head in Leslie Olcott's direction to indicate the "she" in question.

Loathe as she was to let James anywhere near the Hufflepuff girl, Lily understood what he meant. She nodded and said, "I'll wait."

"Thanks," he responded. "I'll be right back." Then, taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and walked over to the circle of Hufflepuff girls.

"Can I have a word, Olcott?" he asked.

An excited titter went around the circle. Leslie grinned confidently and said, "Sure."

James led her a few paces down the corridor, to where they would be out of earshot of her friends.

"Listen, Leslie," he began, running a nervous hand through his hair. "I wanted to tell you that... Lily and I are dating now. I just, er, thought you should hear it from me in light of... last Hogsmeade and all." He paused and looked at Leslie, trying to gauge her reaction to this news.

She had gone very white, and her eyes were burning with fury. James leaned instinctively backwards, unaware that her anger was directed at Lily, not at him. In Leslie's mind, she was the one to blame for all of this. Leslie had been _this close_ to finally snaring James, and then that redheaded tart had gone and stolen him away _again_.

"Well," she said after a long, tense silence. "I think you're making the wrong choice. But thanks for telling me yourself."

"Oh no. I'm finally making the right one," James countered, his expression lightening now that he knew he was not going to be subject to a fit of female rage. "So... we're okay and everything?"

She nodded and managed a flirtatious smile in spite of her disappointment, "When you're free again, you know where to find me."

"I wouldn't wait around," he advised her, then turned and made his way back to Lily. "See ya, Olcott."

"Well?" Lily asked anxiously as James approached.

He smiled reassuringly at her, "She's fine. I just figured I ought to tell her in person, since I sorta think she had her eye on me."

"_That's_ the understatement of the year," Lily muttered under her breath.

"What?" James asked.

For a moment, she didn't respond, having just looked over James' shoulder and caught sight of Leslie. However breezily the Hufflepuff girl has brushed off the news when James had told her a moment ago, judging by the way she was glaring at Lily now, Leslie was not at all pleased to have heard it. The venom in her glare took Lily by surprise, but she recovered quickly and stared haughtily back at her defeated rival. Though Lily was by nature a kind, forgiving young woman, and she would never have actually done or said anything to Leslie's face, she could not resist this one little moment of flaunting her success.

"Never mind," she told James sweetly, then took his hand in hers and tugged lightly. "Come on. I'm starving."

He followed her into the Great Hall, mercifully oblivious to the silent, female battle that had just gone on around him, and asked, "Are we sitting with my friends or yours?"

That question, they soon discovered, had been answered for them. All five of their friends were already seated at the far end of the Gryffindor table, waiting expectantly for the couple's arrival.  
"Evenin', lovebirds," Sirius greeted them cheekily as soon as they sat down. "Glad you've finally decided to join us."

"Aw, Sirius, you missed us that much? I'm touched," Lily teased.

"Actually, you'd be more accurate in saying he missed the opportunity to rib you mercilessly," Remus commented.

"I tease because I care," Sirius responded airily.

"What is that, your Marauders Manifesto or something?" Marlene inquired, earning herself a laugh from James.

"I actually tried that one on McGonagall back in third year," he said. "She didn't buy it. Took off double the house points for cheek, if I remember correctly."

"Don't feel too bad," Lily said, patting his shoulder soothingly. "She only did it because she cared."

This time, the whole group laughed along with her. A moment later, the platters lining the center of the tables magically filled with the feast the house elves had prepared that day, and the group's conversation slowed as they all enjoyed the delicious meal. After dessert, they returned to the common room together and spent the rest of the evening playing a rather haphazard, tournament-style game of wizard's chess from which Mary emerged as the final victor. By this point, it was past eleven o'clock, and they all agreed they had better retire for the night. The group parted ways at the foot of the dormitory staircases. Mary and Marlene headed up the girls' staircase, but James caught Lily's hand before she could follow them.

"Do I get a goodnight kiss?" he asked with a charming smile.

Lily's cheeks tinged a light shade of pink, but she nodded and leaned forward to kiss him softly on the lips.

"G'night, James," she murmured, smiling shyly up at him.

"Night Lily," he answered. "See you in the morning."

Giving her hand one last squeeze, he let go and watched her ascend the staircase. She paused on the landing, and James felt his heart flip-flop in his chest as he watched her turn and blow him a kiss before she disappeared inside her dormitory room. He was certain he was grinning like a fool as he made his way up to his own dormitory, but fortunately there was no one left in the common room to see it. Though it might have taken him the better part of four years to win her over, after today, James could now say with certainty that Lily was more than worth the wait.


	18. Olcott Again

Rain strummed gently against the windowpanes in Boy's Dormitory 3C the next morning. The weak light that filtered into the room did little to stir its occupants, who slept soundly. All, except one. In the middle bed with hangings wide open, James Potter stirred. He lay on his belly, one arm hanging off the side of his four-poster, knuckles nearly brushing the floor. His covers had tangled around his legs as he slept, and they now were bunched around his knees. His eyes fluttered open, and he rolled over onto his back, wiping a bit of dribble from his face as he did so. He yawned, stretched, and reached for the clock that occupied his bedside table along with his glasses, a pack of Drooble's Best-Blowing Gum, and several out-of-date issues of _Which Broomstick?_. Noting that it was half past six, he sat up, his hair standing up in the back, giving him the appearance of an alarmed hedgehog. He blinked slowly, scratched his bare chest, and swung his legs over the side of his bed, headed for the showers. He heard another occupant of the room stir, but padded quietly into the bathroom.

Once under the hot spray, he began to wake up. He had just taken up a bar of soap when his stomach growled. He groaned, suddenly remembering that he had forgotten to ask Lily to eat an early breakfast with him in the wake of the previous day's excitement.

"Oi!" called Sirius' voice as he entered the showers. "Not while _I'm_ in here, you sod!"

"Shove it," replied James grumpily, "I just forgot to ask Lily to breakfast with me this morning."

"Ah. Thank goodness," said Sirius as he stepped into his own shower cubicle. "I thought you were in here for some-"

"I wasn't," James interrupted hastily, flushing at the implication. He shifted back under the water, rinsing the soap from him. "I'm headed down; shall I wait for you?"

"Nah," came Sirius' voice. "I probably ought to do my essay."

James turned the tap off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. "Alright, see you in class, then. Write fast, that essay's not exactly a fun one."

"A _fun_ essay?" Sirius asked, incredulous. "Who are you- Remus?"

James chuckled, heading out of the bathroom to get dressed. He wasn't really sure what Lily's day-routine was like. He didn't know very many others his age who were what one might call 'morning people'. He could wake up and get things done if he really needed to, or else if he had something exciting to look forward to, like Christmas. Other than a few special cases, however, he would much prefer to sleep for hours and hours. But Lily-? She was a bit on the responsible side. Perhaps it wasn't entirely unreasonable to hope she might be awake.

Luckily for James, Lily had indeed awoken and was standing in front of the mirror, quietly fiddling with her hair so as not to wake up her roommates. For some reason (probably leftover excitement from yesterday), she had woken earlier than usual and had decided to use her extra time to write her mother and tell her yesterday's good news. So she slid quietly out of bed, dressed, brushed her teeth and applied a bit of mascara. Remembering the brush Mary had given her for her birthday, Lily decided to wear her hair straight. She adjusted her tie, checked her appearance once more, and headed down to the common room with her bag to start her letter home, all the while wondering when James was planning to head down for breakfast. Boys- specifically teenage boys- were notorious for oversleeping whenever they found the opportunity. It would probably be a while before he got out of bed, giving her more than ample time to script a letter home.

Lily had just reached the bottom of the stairs when the sound of footfalls on the opposite stone steps reached her ears. She paused, a little jolt of adrenalin and hope zooming through her body. Was it-? It was! Her lips spread in a grin.

"James?"

The bespectacled boy in question, who had been cramming his tie under his sweater vest, jumped.

"Oh! Lily! I…" he grinned, suddenly at a loss for words, "hullo!"

Lily smiled brightly, and James crossed to her, bending to kiss her cheek. She turned her head to catch his lips instead.

"I was hoping you hadn't gone down to breakfast yet," Lily smiled.

James nodded, pleased. "Yeah, I just got up. I was thinking how I should have asked you last night to get breakfast with me, but I suppose it all worked out. Did you sleep well?"

"Mhmm," Lily nodded, reaching for his hands. "And yourself?"

"Absolutely," James replied, thinking that he had gotten an uncommonly peaceful and contented night's sleep.

"So!" Lily said cheerfully, "Since we managed to catch each other at the perfect moment, shall we head to breakfast?" The letter she had been set upon writing was far from her mind, and had been the moment James had come down the stairs, smelling like some sort of wonderful. He agreed, and the pair of them headed toward the portrait hole.

James faced a brief but brutal internal struggle as to whether or not it would be too forward for him to put his arm around her as they walked. Then, upon the reflection that it had been Lily who kissed him that morning of her own volition, he figured she wouldn't mind. As soon as the warmth of his arm had snaked around her waist, Lily's insides gave a pleasurable squirm. All those things she had been hoping he would do for the past few months were finally coming true!

They had just passed a large landscape of autumnal oak trees dropping their leaves slowly to the ground when Lily remembered something. "Oh!" she said, "I'd nearly forgotten. What're you doing this Friday night?"

James smiled apologetically. "I've got training until eight. Why, what's up?"

"Oh," Lily said, pursing her lips in a little smile. "Well... I suppose you could just be fashionably late then. This Wednesday," she explained, noting James' perplexed expression, "is Professor Slughorn's birthday, and he's hosting a Slug Club party Friday in honor of it. I was going to ask if you'd come with me." She smiled shyly at him. "It's just going to be a casual affair. Or, as casual as you can get with Slughorn. Just some evening snacks, and a giant cake of course. And there will probably be dancing or something. He loves old 1940's Muggle music."

James' eyebrows rose. "Slughorn? Er..." he smiled hesitantly, thinking of the handful of detentions he had received from the Potions Master over the years. However, the promise of spending the time with Lily outweighed the potential awkwardness of being around Horace Slughorn. "If you think it's a good idea, then I'd love to."

"Really? Oh, good! I don't think he'll mind. He's been warming up to you, remember? Just don't mention crystallized pineapple around him," Lily smirked.

James laughed. "I'll be sure to keep my past transgressions under tight wraps." He paused, a sudden thought occurring to him. "Does this mean you will be wearing a dress?"

Lily looked at the ground, considering. "I hadn't really thought about it yet." She looked up at him, a little color tingeing her cheeks. "Do you _want_ me to wear a dress?"

James looked down at her, a crooked smile spreading across his lips. "Well... to put it bluntly, yes. I mean," he added hastily, not wanting to overstep himself, "you don't have to. But I think you'd look really pretty."

"I think I ought to, though. Since this will be our first official date and all," Lily blushed a bit more earnestly, a little thrill jumping through her at the very thought.

"Hang on," James said, stopping and turning toward her. "_You're_ asking _me_ to our first official date?" A tiny sense of emasculation poked at the back of his conscience.

Lily's eyes widened as she wondered if she had just made a fateful misstep.

"Well.. You have five whole days until then. To fit in something of your own, I mean," she said hastily.

"That I do," he nodded, already grinning to himself as he began running through a list of potential dates on which to take her. "Didn't figure it would come to an ultimatum…"

She nudged his side gently and said, "I am more than confident in your creative powers. We can pretend I haven't asked yet! I just wanted to make sure you were free on Friday, so you can go with me."

James just laughed and assured her, as they entered the Great Hall, "Lily, it's not a big problem. I'm mostly just teasing you."

Relieved, she nodded and said, "Okay." After a pause, she changed the subject and asked, "D'you care where we sit?"

"My mates are all asleep, so it's your call," he answered, shaking his head.

At this announcement, Lily stopped dead in her tracks and slid onto the bench, proclaiming, "Here's good then!"

She had halted too quickly that James nearly ran into her. "All right, all right," he said, laughing, and slid onto the bench beside her.

The rest of the week passed in a blissful blur for the new couple. Thanks to their nearly identical class schedules and the fact that they lived in the same tower of the castle, James and Lily could spend the vast majority of their time together. And Lily, for one, was eager to take advantage of this. The more time she spent with her new boyfriend the more she realized that she preferred James' company to anyone else's. It wasn't just because she enjoyed snogging him, either (though she definitely did). He was every bit as intelligent as she was, which meant he could actually keep up with her, whether they were just bantering or they were discussing a serious subject. He was also just as good-natured as she was, perhaps even more so, and he obviously enjoyed making her laugh. In Lily's mind, it was impossible not to enjoy yourself around James Potter.

This was a large part of why she was actually looking forward to the Slug Club event tonight. Although Lily had attended almost every Slug Club meeting during her tenure at Hogwarts, out of respect and affection for her professor, she privately considered them to be rather dry, dull events. But not this one. James would be attending with her, and she was confident that he was more than up to the task of being the life of the party. Or, at the very least, the life of the party for her. Even if he had to be fashionably late, she was glad he was going to be there at all, but of course from the minute she arrived, Lily couldn't stop herself from glancing at the door every few minutes to see if James had yet appeared.

Meanwhile, out on the Quidditch pitch, James was ending what had been a very productive training session. His team had been in particularly good form this evening and had accomplished everything he had planned to practice. Even better, he now had the prospect of an entire evening at Lily's side. The weekend was off to a very good start indeed.

"All right, all in!" he called to his teammates as he dove lightly towards the ground. He dismounted and ran his hands through his sweaty hair as he watched the other six players alight beside him. Glancing around at their faces, he smiled proudly and said, "Good one, you lot. We'll meet again Monday night. You all have the weekend off."

All six faces lit up at this news and one by one, the Gryffindor team headed either for the showers or back to the castle. James stayed back on the pitch just long enough to strap the balls back into their crate. Once they were safely stowed, he tucked the crate under his arm and hurried back to the locker room. He had just passed the stands when someone called his name. Startled, he dropped the crate on his foot and promptly swore under his breath. Then the identity of the speaker registered in his mind and he mentally cursed again. Straightening, he said quickly but politely, "Hullo, Leslie."

For the speaker was indeed Leslie Olcott. She had arrived half an hour earlier to watch the last bit of the training session and had been cheering as loudly as she could from the stands. As soon as she had seen the team flying to the ground, she had hurried down the stands to wait on the ground level nearest the entrance to the Gryffindor locker room, with the goal of intercepting James on his way to the showers. It had not been her intention to make him drop a crate of balls on his toe, so her expression was apologetic as she rushed forward to help him. "Oooh sorry! I didn't mean to startle you," she said. "I just wanted to um.. congratulate you. Looks like you lot are in fine shape to trounce Slytherin next month."

"Er, yeah," James nodded, staring at her in some confusion. "What are you doing out here?"

Leslie favored him with a winsome smile and struck a pose, "Just came to watch my favorite Quidditch star."

James frowned, "But Leslie.. it's only training."

"So?" she demanded, unable to understand what difference this made. He was equally as fun to watch in practice as in a real match. Recovering her alluring demeanor, she took a step closer and smiled up at him, saying, "Your flying is as impressive in training as it is in a match. Promise." After a slight pause, she added, "You know, my brother was thinking of coming to the next match. I can introduce you, like I promised."

James paused and pursed his lips slightly. He had some idea where this conversation was headed, and if Leslie actually thought she could sweet talk him into dating her instead of Lily, she had another thought coming. And speaking of Lily, he would very much like to get changed and get to that party he was supposed to be meeting her at. He hoped Leslie wasn't planning on having a lengthy chat.

"That's nice of you," he responded, "But it's all right. I've got a scout coming to the final."

"Oh. Well... congratulations!" Leslie responded, momentarily taken aback. "But no harm in having two League insiders looking out for you, right?" she finally asked. "He's looking forward to seeing you play. I've told him all about how well you fly." As she spoke, she shifted her position so that she was leaning back against the post behind her in a position which displayed the curves of her figure to their best advantage.

"Er... that's nice of you," James said, "Look, thanks loads, but I've got to run."

"Where're you running off to?" she asked almost desperately. "It's Friday night. No need to think about school work until Sunday. Some of the Hufflepuff fellows were talking of an Exploding Snap tournament. Muggle-poker style.."

Very glad she had given him an excuse to bring the up the subject, James was quick to say, "Oh, I'm off to see Lily. Thanks though."

At the mention of her rival, Leslie's expression turned decidedly sour, but she masked it quickly and attempted to laugh it off, "Oh. I guess I'll have to take a rain check then."

A rain check? What on earth? Perhaps he needed to be clearer. Watching the blonde girl carefully, James said, "Yeah maybe. Er... Leslie, you know I told you me and Lily are dating, right?"

"Yes I know," she frowned. "She's not turning out to be one of those clingy girlfriends who won't let you have other female friends is she? I didn't think Evans would stoop_ that_ low."

"Not at all," James responded, ignoring the slight to Lily's personality. "I just don't want you to get the wrong idea."

Leslie smiled sweetly. "Of course not," she simpered. "I only miss spending time with you, James."

Unsure of how to respond, James shrugged. "Sorry," he mumbled. He glanced at his watch for the sake of having something to do, and then looked up at the castle where Lily surely awaited him, wearing what was sure to be a very becoming dress. He was definitely eager to see how she looked, for while she was always pretty, he suspected that she looked quite fetching when all dolled up. "I'm late," he explained to Leslie, hoping she would catch the hint and let him end the conversation and stop looking so pathetically forlorn.

Leslie's face fell slightly. "Okay," she said, recovering. "I'll see you around, I s'pose."

Cursing his conscience for reminding him of the fact that Leslie had come out and sat in the cold, James spoke again.  
"Here," he said, "I'll walk with you to the castle if you give me a minute to stow this-" he indicated the crate of Quidditch supplies "-in the shed."

Leslie brightened as James hastened to put away the box, grab his broom and shoulder it, and begin heading up toward the castle. She followed close behind him, a smile bubbling easily to her lips. "Is your foot alright?" she asked.

James chuckled. "Yeah, you only startled me." Had society favored the blunt, he would have loved to finish his sentence with "because I thought I had told you enough to keep you away for good". But, alas, he could not.

"Ooh," Leslie said, frowning. "I'm sorry!" She reached out to pat his arm, letting her hand linger a bit longer than James would have liked. He quickened his pace, wishing to make this interlude with the Hufflepuff girl as short in duration as possible. Leslie was nearly out of breath from trying to keep up with his longer stride. "Thanks for walking me back, though," she said, buoying the conversation with hope and small talk as they approached the castle. She looked back up at him as a new topic struck her. Quidditch! He would, of course, leap at the chance to talk about his favorite sport.

"Um, so... are you working on a new defensive strategy then? I've never seen those Beater formations before."

James pursed his lips, thinking back to those formations which had definitely improved since the beginning of the training session. Sirius had caught on quickly; the idea was to blindside the other players using drafts and something called the Seaford-Gulley defense. "We're trying some new stuff, but I'm not sure it will carry to the actual match."

"I see," said Leslie, quite obviously disappointed that they reached the doors so quickly. "Well," she said, clearly grasping for an excuse to keep talking, "if you and Evans end things early tonight, feel free to stop by our common room."

James chuckled."I wouldn't wait up," he advised. "But thank you." His mind went to thoughts of Lily, her lips and the feeling of his hands around her waist. It was a heady memory, and he grinned crookedly at the very idea.

A funny look came across Leslie's face. She blinked and forced a smile. "Bye, James!" she said, waving as she headed off down the hallway.

"See you, Olcott," James said, heading toward a bathroom where he had stowed some of his nicer clothes before practice, so as not to show up to the Slug Club party reeking and muddy. He changed quickly into dress pants and a button-down shirt, standing in the bathroom in his socks. He rifled through his bag, searching hurriedly for his dress shoes. He was struck suddenly by an image of the pair in question sitting out on his trunk up in his bedroom so he would not forget them. He swore loudly, and then began to search for an alternative. Eyeing his trainers, he figured them to be his best bet, and set about cleaning them. Drawing out his wand, he tapped them sharply and, hoping for the best, was pleasantly surprised by the sight of extremely shiny patent leather shoes before him. He slipped them on, shoved his muddy practice clothes into the bag, and sprinted off to meet Lily, fully aware he was a good deal tardier than he had meant to be.

Meanwhile, Lily was trying her very best to enjoy herself at Professor Slughorn's birthday. This was quite a difficult feat, as her attention was only partly centered on the goings-on of the celebration. Though she wasn't cross with James for being a bit later than he had estimated, she definitely would have preferred his presence. She had even dressed up especially for him, making sure she wore a dress that she determined was very becoming on her. It was made of dark navy fabric, with belled sleeves and a flared skirt. Blue, rather than green or the insufferable yellow or purple, was a color that almost never clashed with her coloring. But what was the use of dressing up if James wasn't even here? She spoke rather distractedly with one of the newer Slug Club members, hoping dearly James would arrive before Professor Slughorn cut the cake. Lily glanced toward the door, checking her watch, beginning to wonder if someone- though, hopefully not James- had been injured at training. But the sound of clattering footsteps reached her ears and brought a bright smile to her face. James sailed through the door, his cheeks a bit flushed and his hair in its usual disarray. She excused herself from her conversation and made her way toward him. He moved toward her at the same time, looking relieved to catch sight of her.

"Hi!" Lily said, brightly, reaching for a hug.

"Hey, girl of mine," James leaned down to kiss her cheek, returning her smile.

"I was beginning to think you'd never make it," Lily confessed, slipping her arm around his waist and leading him further into the room. "Did something go wrong at practice?"

"Er, no," said James, "just ran a bit late. I'm sorry; forgive me?"

Lily reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. "Of course!" she beamed. "And I think you're just in time for the cake cutting."

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm starved," James said, looking around before catching sight of the monstrous birthday cake.

Lily's eyebrows contracted slightly. "You _did_ get a chance to eat dinner before training, right?"

James nodded. "Well, yeah. But that was three hours ago..."

"So, naturally, you're ravenously hungry again," Lily finished for him, grinning slyly.

James reached over and goosed Lily's sides. She squealed and giggled. "It takes a lot of energy to be this attractive, you see," he said with an air of experience.

Lily, still giggling, nodded. "And I very much appreciate everything that goes into making my boyfriend the fittest one in the castle." She tightened her arm around him and gave him a light tug to the right."C'mon. I bet there're still some appetizers at the table."

James grinned, letting himself be led. Had he been asked, he would have let the beautiful girl lead him to the ends of the earth and back. He then realized that in the hustle of getting to the party, he had yet to compliment Lily's stunning appearance. Once they were at the table, he leaned down and murmured in her ear, "You look really, really pretty tonight."

Lily's stomach flip-flopped, and she beamed, gloriously happy he had notice her effort.

"Thank you," she said, lips curving in a smile. Then, deciding this sort of thing was definitely deserving of a kiss, she glanced around the room to make sure the others were occupied, before pressing a kiss to his lips.

James returned the kiss, trying to somewhat curb his enthusiasm for the sake of anyone who might catch a glimpse of them. However, he was definitely of the opinion that he could go for some snogging later, if Lily was amenable.

She reluctantly broke the kiss before any other students could notice their occupation. "Erm," she said, a bit flushed, "Do you want to get in line for cake, too?" She had it on good authority that the cake flavor was chocolate, and was therefore determined to have a piece of the fourteen-tier monster.

"Sure," James said, much more intent on the girl before him than any cake, regardless of flavor.

Keeping her hand firmly in his, Lily walked over to the table at the center of the room where Professor Slughorn had begun to cut liberal slices for all his guests. As they took their places at the end of the short queue, she squeezed James' hand and told him, "I'm really glad you could make it."

"Isn't that what he's supposed to say?" James replied, indicating Slughorn with a nod of his head.

"You're still worried he'll throw you out?" she teased.

James was saved from having to reply by their reaching the front of the queue. Ever the gentleman, he gestured for Lily to take a plate first, then he stepped forward to receive his own piece.

"Happy Birthday, Professor," he said, and Slughorn looked up.

"Thank you, Potter," the rounder man responded in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"I'm Lily's plus-one, sir," James explained.

"Ahhh, so the rumors _are_ true then?" Slughorn asked, his lips curving in a genuine smile. Evidently, any association with his favorite student was ample reason for him to form a favorable opinion of someone.

Grinning, Lily reached for James' free hand and looked up at him with a proud little smile as she answered, "They are, indeed."

"Splendid! Splendid," the Potions Master replied, "I must say, you two make a fine-looking pair."

Lily tore her eyes away from James' long enough to smile at Slughorn, "Thanks, Professor." Then she followed as James tugged her hand to lead her away from the cake table so the rest of their classmates could get a slice. Once they were out of ear shot, she grinned up at him and said, "See? I knew he'd warm up to you eventually. You're too charming to resist forever."

"Thankfully," James chuckled. "Now what do you say we find a comfy sofa so we can sit down and enjoy our cake?"

"Oooh charming _and_ smart. I've found a keeper," Lily teased, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek.

Less than an hour later, after they had both dined and schmoozed themselves out, James turned to Lily and asked, "Want to head back to the common room now?"

"Sure," she responded, looking around for a surface on which to set her now-empty punch glass. On their way out of the room, she spied a table that had begun amassing a collection of empty cups and added hers to the mix.

"Did you have something else planned?" she asked curiously as she and James strolled down the corridor hand in hand.

He shook his head, "Nah. Just tired of making pointless small talk with people I hardly know."

Lily smiled, knowing the feeling well herself. "Ah," was all she said. They reached Gryffindor Common Room in record time thanks to a handy shortcut James had suggested they use, which had sparked Lily's curiosity.

"Do you know every secret passageway in this entire castle?" she asked as she stepped through the portrait hole in front of him.

"Maybe not _every_," he responded, "But a fair amount."

"Do I want to know why? Or how?" she asked, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement.

James put on his most innocent expression as he replied, "You can't be a successful prankster if you can't get around without being seen." This, of course, was only half the explanation for his and his friends' ability to roam the castle without being spotted, but he couldn't go spilling secrets that weren't his to tell. Instead, he kept his answer vague. A quick scan of the common room revealed that all of the seats seemed to be taken by other students. James was about to suggest that they could find another location when he felt Lily tugging his hand towards the far side of the room.

"C'mon. I bet my window seat's still open," she said, leading him over to the quieter side of the room where she usually elected to do her homework. The window seat was indeed vacant, and she climbed nimbly up, with James close behind her. There was just space enough for them to sit side by side, though James wouldn't have complained if Lily had chosen to sit in his lap instead.

"Look," she said, pointing out the window on their left, "This is one of the reasons I sit here so often."

He turned his head, following the direction of her finger, and gazed out the window at the quiet, moonlit grounds of Hogwarts Castle. Not too far in the distance, he could see the lake, with the half moon silhouetted in its pristine waters, and he imagined that in daylight, he would be able to survey most of the grounds.

"Wow. That's an incredible view," James said.

"Yeah," Lily agreed, suddenly aware of how closely their bodies were. A slight blush came over her cheeks, and when James caught sight of her, he felt his body responding to how simply lovely the girl was. He hesitated a moment, and then reached out to turn her face toward his. Leaning forward, his eyes fell shut and his lips met hers. Almost instantly, he felt her hands slide around the back of his head, catching hold of his hair in a gentle grip. He deepened their kiss, her mouth tasting faintly of chocolate. A catcall roused them from their snogging, and James turned, a bit of lipstick smeared on his mouth, to grin at the culprit- Sirius, of course. He reached for Lily's hand, and the twosome exited the Common Room for a bit more privacy.


	19. The War Encroaches

A/N: Dear readers, we are pleased to inform you that our summer hiatus is over. We both now have regular access to a computer, which means we will both be able to write regularly.

After the excitement of the previous weekend's Quidditch match, the following Saturday and Sunday were rather humdrum. When the next Monday morning rolled around, the students of Hogwarts were expecting just another average morning. There was a bit of excitement in the knowledge that four weeks from now, they would be back home for their Easter holiday, but other than that, they were resigned to another week of classes. At eight o'clock, the Great Hall was filled with murmuring, laughing, breakfasting students when, exactly on time, a flurry of owls flew across the ceiling, bearing the morning's mail. James' owl, Icarus, swooped down over his head and dropped his copy of the _Daily Prophet_ beside his tea cup. The bird perched on his master's shoulder just long enough to receive a ruffle of his feathers then, with an affectionate nip at the top of James' ear, he flew off for the comfort of his perch in the Owlrey.

"Anything interested happening out there?" Lily asked, leaning over James' shoulder as he unrolled his newspaper. Though she did not have a subscription, she had begun a habit of reading the _Prophet_ after James, or at least scanning the headlines. This was not exactly an enjoyable task, as the news from Wizarding Britain had grown darker and more troubling of late, and Lily had never been one to dwell on problems. But, she reasoned, if she was going to be joining the "real world" in four months' time, she ought to learn what was going on in it.

James did not immediately respond to her question and, a few moments later, she turned to look at him curiously. His eyes seemed to be fixed upon the front page, and his mouth was hanging slightly open. Her brow furrowed with worry, and she turned to the paper in attempt to discover what he had reacted so strongly too.

"James?" she repeated, "What's wr- _Ohhhh_..."

From James' other side, Sirius looked up from the plate of eggs and sausage he was currently scarfing down and asked, "Something happened, Prongs?"

Very slowly, James lowered the paper to the table so that they could all read it. His voice was frighteningly calm and his expression tense as he answered, "I'd say something has. Take a look at that."

_INFERI INFILTRATION IN DOWNTOWN LONDON  
Arnold Defport, _Daily Prophet

_Five Ministry officials and thirty-four Muggles were killed early Sunday evening in an altercation between wizarding forces and what has been confirmed to be over sixty-five Inferi, or the reanimated and manipulated dead._

_The attack is reported to have begun around four o'clock, when janitorial staff at the Ministry reported hearing fireplaces connected to the Floo network. Upon investigation, cleaning foreman Timothy Stumpf approached the intruders, only to be struck down by what eyewitness Gregory Beryl attests as "terrible strength."_

_Unfortunately, Stumpf was only the first of the casualties._

_Aurors were summoned to attempt to combat the undead intruders. Other Ministry officials present joined in the fight, but a few Inferi managed to escape the Ministry and head into the streets of Muggle London, finding and killing eighteen passing Muggles before they were contained and destroyed._

_According to a statement released by the cooperative efforts of both the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Auror Office, the Inferi entered the Ministry via unauthorized Floo fireplaces. When the Department of Magical Transportation Regulation searched the Floo records, it was discovered that the fireplaces in question belonged to Muggles._

_The homeowners were killed, though it is not yet clear if the Inferi or other forces are to blame._

_Motives for the attack are as yet unknown, yet rumors that this attack is linked to the Dark Rising cannot be quenched. There is as of yet no concrete evidence that links this attack, as no wizards were apprehended on the scene._

_The public is encouraged to report any sightings of suspicious activity, and to immediately owl the Auror Office with any information that might pertain to the attack._

Lily looked up from the paper as she finished reading out loud, her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

"Oh, my," she breathed.

A long moment of uncomfortable, pensive silence followed. James stared down at his plate, feeling sick. Remus looked paler than usual, and Sirius, for once, could think of nothing clever to say. Marlene and Mary both wore expressions similar to Lily's, though Mary was staring fixedly into her cup of tea. Eventually it was James who broke the silence, speaking in the same ominously calm, low voice as before, "Someone has got to _stop_ them." The others were silent still, merely nodding their assent.

Remus sighed and stared down at the racing, silently screaming figures in the newspaper photograph again. "I'm sure the Aurors are doing all they can, James," he said quietly.

"Well it's obviously not enough, is it?" James demanded.

Sirius glanced over at him with a smile that looked rather pasted on. "Dumbledore'll do something," he said. "I'll bet he's already got something up his sleeve." The others, James included, took comfort in this observation. Their Headmaster had been in the Prophet more frequently of late, taking a public stance against the Dark Rising and urging his fellow wizarding citizens to stand up for themselves.

"Yeah but he can't save the world all on his own," James replied tersely. "People have got to help him." Sometimes, especially in light of news like today's headline, it seemed like no one would.

"Why don't you do it then, James?" Lily asked quietly. "Help him, I mean." She knew from past conversations that he had already sent in an application to the Auror Academy, though he had yet to decide if he would actually go once he finished at Hogwarts. If he really wanted to help Dumbledore fight the Dark Rising, training as an Auror was a good way to do it.

"Maybe I will," was all James said. He was staring down at his bowl of oatmeal now with a pensive expression on his face.

Sirius, however, seemed to have roused himself. There was a defiant gleam in his eye as he grinned enthusiastically at his best mate and said, "Let's do it then. You and me, Prongs, side by side. Fighting back the Death Eater scum until they're all locked away in Azkaban!"

"It's not that simple, Padfoot," said Remus, shaking his head as he folded up the newspaper and set it aside.

"I think it's a noble ambition," Mary spoke up.

"And one that's likely to get him killed," added Peter.

Lily shook her head. That scenario was one she steadfastly refused to think about. "Someone's got to do it, though," she said. "If we ever want our world to be rid of this... this _disease_ of prejudice, we'll have to stand up and do it ourselves."

"Hear, hear," Marlene called out, lifting her teacup to Lily in a mock toast.

Sirius raised his own mug and said, "So that's the plan. Next step: graduation. After that: save the world!"

The others couldn't help but laugh at the exaggerated display of bravado. Even James joined in with a small chuckle and lifted his teacup to join the toast. But he remained uncharacteristically quiet for the rest of the meal, and, Lily noted, throughout the rest of the day. She had a good idea of what he was brooding over, but she wasn't exactly sure how to broach the subject with him or if she even should. Her attention was distracted most of the evening by a letter Mary had received that morning from a boy she had met over the Christmas holidays. All three girls were busy discussing the potential ramifications of this letter and trying to discern whether or not it boded well for a future relationship when Lily realized it was 8:59.

She rushed downstairs in a flurry, pinning her badge to her jumper as she went, and scanned the common room for James as soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She found him over by the fire, engrossed in what looked to be a very intense game of wizard chess with Sirius, who had something of a reputation as a chess master.

It was Sirius who first caught sight of Lily while he waited for James to make his next move.

"Oi Red," he greeted her.

James turned around, asking, "Is it time already?"

"H'lo Black," Lily greeted Sirius, coming to a halt behind James' chair and leaning over to plant a kiss atop his head. "Yeah," she answered, "But we can wait a few minutes if you two are almost finished."

"Nah, this game is bust. I'm going to resign," James said, rising to his feet.

Sirius smirked, "Oh how the mighty fall hard."

"You're one to talk," Lily retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I've never even tripped, much less fallen," the sleek-haired lad replied. This time, James rolled his eyes.

Lily sidled over to her boyfriend and asked in a stage whisper, "He does understand what a metaphor is, right?"

James shook his head and responded in the same tone, "He never went to primary school."

"Ahhh," Lily said, glancing down at Sirius with exaggerated pity.

"Hey now," he protested, "Leave my sordid past alone!"

Lily's only response was to wink saucily at him. James laughed and placed a hand against her back.

"Come on, Lils. Let's get this done," he said.

"Kay. Bye Sirius," she responded airily as the pair of them crossed the common room and exited through the portrait hole.

"See you, Red," he returned. As soon as the pair's back was turned, he proceeded to happily smite James' chess pieces, which were unprotected now that Sirius' opponent was gone.

Meanwhile, out in the corridor, Lily slid her hand into James' and asked, "Want to start with the dungeons tonight?"

James paused just around the corner from the common room and pulled her to him for a long hug.

"Yeah, that works."

Very happy to trade walking for cuddling, Lily looped her arms around his neck and asked, "Has anyone but Remus ever beaten Sirius at chess?"

He leaned down to kiss her forehead before answering, "I did once. He was very, very drunk."

"Do I want to know why?" she asked, tilting her head back to look up at him.

James raised an eyebrow: "Does Sirius _need_ a reason?"

"Well..," Lily responded, an impish smile playing over her lips. "I was just wondering why _he_ was plastered and you weren't." In her experience, James and Sirius usually did things of that nature together.

"Another story for another time," James responded with a wink. "Come on. We don't want to leave the dungeons open to miscreants."

Reluctantly, Lily let go of him and took the hand he held out to her.

"If we must," she said as she resumed strolling down the corridor. They walked in comfortable silence until they rounded the corner and reached the staircase to the dungeons. There they saw a group of students who clearly hadn't noticed they had company, as they kept talking about the morning's headline as though it was the Quidditch final.

"I only wish we could have been there this time!" said the tallest boy, with the excited air of one discussing a particularly riveting Quidditch match. "I mean, some stupid cleaner staff can't have put up much of a decent fight against Inferi, but still. To actually be there would have been absolutely brill."

One of the Slytherin girls answered in a haughty, knowing voice; "My father says it's only a matter of time, if Inferi can get inside the Ministry."

"I bet it was hilarious!" chimed in another boy with dull red hair. "All those stupid little Ministry officials running around."

"I don't know, though," disagreed another girl, who Lily was able to recognize as a Ravenclaw. "That was an awfully visible move. My mum told me she isn't sure going public this soon is a good idea. Although, the fact that the Ministry put it in the _Prophet_ this morning shows some lack of forethought. Honestly, broadcasting a failure for the world to see? The Aurors are good, but they aren't _that_ good."

"You're right in one," agreed the first boy. "The Ministry is going to realize quickly that they're standing on foolish ideals. Once they realize the power inherent in what's coming, they'll be quick to step aside."

James felt his anger beginning to rise. People had died that morning, and here these students were talking about their gruesome deaths so casually! It wasn't right.

"I don't know," said the blonde Ravenclaw girl. "If they manage to enlist the other Ministries before the fall, then everything is fucked. Pardon my French."

"But with another couple moves like this one," countered the red-haired Slytherin boy, "those other Ministries will be too scared to want to get involved. It's a brilliant plan!"

"Oh, yes, bloody brilliant, right" chimed in James sarcastically, wand in hand.

The group of students, who had not realized they had company, jumped as one. The tallest boy, who James could now identify as Murdoch Lyons, sneered, "And what would _you_ know about it, Potter?"

"I know you're about knee-deep in a hell of a lot of trouble," James retorted.

"And for what?" asked Murdoch, his eyebrows raised.

"For being out after hours, you twat," snapped James. "Curfew started eight minutes ago." He wished there was something else to catch them on, but there had been nothing concretely incriminating in their conversation. He had heard enough, however, and could sense that Lily had, too. She stepped beside him, gripping her wand as well.

"But I'm sure you were all on your way back to your common room," she said, glaring at the Ravenclaw girl. "Except for you, missy."

"Excuse me?" The girl stood haughtily, one hand on her hip.

"You're an awfully long way from Ravenclaw Tower, in case you hadn't noticed," Lily replied coolly.

The Ravenclaw girl rolled her eyes, and then glanced at her friend.

"We're having a slumber party," she lied baldly.

Lily's gaze hardened.

"Which will have to wait until the Easter Holiday, unless you want to serve a detention," she said, as if finishing the other girl's sentence for her. "All students are to be in their own common rooms after curfew. That, obviously, includes sleeping in their own dormitories."

Murdoch snickered, offering a mock salute.

"Yes, ma'am," he sneered.

James cut in. "Oi, you heard her," he said, jerking his chin down the corridor. "Get going. Fifteen points each from your houses for being out after curfew."

Murdoch clasped his hands together.  
"Ooh, thanks, Potter, for keeping us on the straight 'n narrow." He grinned in an unpleasant sort of way, and then motioned for his mates to follow. "Come on you lot," he said, turning to leave. "And see you tomorrow, O'Daughtery."

The Ravenclaw girl waved to her friends as she stalked off in the opposite direction, glaring daggers at James and Lily as she passed. The group of Slytherin students followed Murdoch down the hall. James watched, his jaw taut, as they turned and disappeared from view. He and Lily stood for a long moment in silence, where James seemed to be chewing the inside of his cheek. Lily was about to open her mouth and ask if he was okay when James spoke;  
"Lucky they bought my bluff."

Noting the tension in his voice, Lily reached up a hand and placed it gently on his arm.

"Your bluff?" she asked curiously.

James held up his wristwatch for her to see.

"Curfew isn't for another forty-five minutes," he replied simply.

Lily's eyes widened and she stepped back.

"James!" she exclaimed. "We took off house points!"

James looked down at her, his eyebrows contracting slightly.

"And?" he asked. "Lils, they were talking about that _attack_ like it was something bloody wonderful."

She sighed, closing her eyes briefly as if gathering herself.

"I know, but..."

He interjected, "What, are you going to redact it? Or turn me in?"

Lily shook her head.  
"No!" she exclaimed. "I think that's scummy of them, too, but... James, we can't punish them for having a different opinion. Regardless of how wrong it may or may not be."

James shook his head as well.  
"Lily, this is... this is such bollocks."

"We can't go abusing our authority to punish people we don't like, James. That would make us just as bad as _them_."

"Listen to yourself!" he replied plaintively. "They're cheering on the people who would as soon kill you as look at you."

"And hopefully they'll realize the error of their ways before they actually act on the beliefs they espouse." She placed her hand on his arm once more, giving it a gentle squeeze. "They're still students, James."

He made a sound of disgust.

"They won't always be." He paused a moment. "And you heard them, talking about their parents feeling the same. More often than not, you turn out like your own set. Merlin, Lily, I didn't use an Unforgivable on them. I took away House Points." He looked back down the corridor. "And besides, they didn't even go back to their common room."

"They _what_?"Lily turned around sharply, peering down the stone hallway as if the group of students would be dancing about simply to taunt her. "Of all the cheek..." she grumbled.

James shrugged, mumbling something that sounded curiously like "bastards".

"I suppose I would have expected it from the Slytherins, but... that Ravenclaw girl?" She looked anxiously in the direction the students had disappeared. "Should we follow them?" she asked, turning back to James "And make sure they go back to their common rooms?"

"To what end?" James asked wearily. "It's not actually curfew."

"Oh. Right." Another long moment of silence followed, but then Lily slipped her hand into James'. "We have to head this way, anyway," she sighed, tugging gently on his hand.

"Yeah," James agreed glumly, letting himself be led. After a few steps of silence, he opened his mouth once more. "Lily..."

She glanced at him. "Yes?"

"How do you do this? Stay so calm, I mean."

Lily considered this rather vague question for a moment.  
"I just... Well, I suppose I'm hoping all they're doing is talking," she answered, unsure as to why James would be so worked up over a couple of students.

James shook his head.  
"I'm talking about everything that's outside Hogwarts," he clarified.

"With the war, you mean?" Lily asked, running her thumb over the back of his hand.

James nodded, his gaze growing distant. "There's so much out there that's simply terrible... and it seems like things aren't going to get better."

"I know," Lily murmured, giving his hand a squeeze. "It really bothers you, doesn't it? I've never seen you more upset than when you read that headline this morning."

James scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. The morning's headline had upset him; that much was true, but that wasn't the whole of it. Conflict had been building within him for a long time as to what he ought to do with his life, and the morning's paper reawakened a sense of duty within him. He had long hoped for sense of certainty to dawn on him concerning his future, and though he had yet to attain some grand moment of epiphany, his path was becoming more and more clear.

"I've been thinking," he began, breaking the silence that had settled, and I want to know how you feel. So... bear with me, alright?"

A flicker of concern shone in Lily's green eyes.  
"Okay," she said. "Is this why you've been so quiet all day?"

"Kind of," James conceded. "Yes. I guess." He took a deep breath. "Lily, I'm not going to the UIQL. I went to McGonagall during free period and filled out another portion of the Auror Academy application." He let go of her hand and stood facing her, shoulders squared, as if to appear physically certain of his choice. "I thought Quidditch was all I could ever want. Hell, even right now, I'm kicking myself that I'll miss out on playing in the League. But... But those Muggles that were killed to use the fire grates could have been your family. What if someday you're in your flat and one of those mucked-up Dark Wizards knocks in your door to come for you, just cos you're Muggle-born?" He shook his head, mouth slightly agape, trying his best to summon up some eloquent phrase to adequately explain himself. "Lily, I'm not willing to risk that," he finished simply.

Lily swallowed, as a thick band of emotion seemed to be constricting her throat.

"Things outside are getting really terrifying," James continued. "I know there's got to be more going on underground than we know about to fight the Dark Rising. Because I don't believe a wizard like Dumbledore, for instance, is going to be complacent when there's a stand to be made. I know I need more training. I know I need some sort of discipline. And there's a lot I've not yet learned. But, hell, I've _got_ to learn it. These are going to be my friends that are targeted. These are innocent people being killed. Little ones, too. I can't cope with joining a Quidditch league when I know there's something I could be doing."

Having apparently said all he could think to on the subject, and most definitely hitting the high points of the conversation he had held with the Deputy Headmistress earlier in the day, James watched Lily with a mild degree of nervousness. He wasn't sure what precisely expected from her in response. But he knew her worldview to be quite different from his own, and therefore found himself nearly holding his breath in trepidation.

"I think," Lily began, as she mulled over his words, her eyes blurred slightly with tears of pride, "that if the rest of our classmates are even half as noble as you, then we really can make a difference in this war." She stepped close and looped her arms around his waist, nestling her head against his chest as he hugged her close to his body. His chin resting on the top of her head, he found his heart lighter than it had been all day.

"And if they don't accept your application, they're completely mental," Lily added, sliding her hands onto his chest and gazing up at him.

James chuckled and then kissed her lips, a crooked smile stretching his mouth.

"Lily, thanks," he said earnestly.

Lily frowned slightly. "Did you think I wouldn't approve?" she asked incredulously.

James shrugged. "I hoped you would," he admitted.

Lily cupped his cheek in one hand. "Well, I do. Completely." She raised up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. When she opened her eyes, she found James staring at her with a tender intensity that made her blush. He reached up to push a curl of her hair out of her face.

"I love you," he said simply. Then, "I mean, er... Well, yes. I do. But you don't have to, that is... Er... I...damn."

Lily's eyes widened at this pronouncement. And then, her face broke into a wide smile, and she giggled. She reached her hands around the boy's neck, and pulled his face to hers.

"C'mere, you," she said, before pressing her mouth to his.

For several blissful minutes, it was as though she and James were the only two people in the world. All Lily could think about were his arms around her waist, his hands gently stroking the small of her back and the wonderful things his lips were doing to the soft skin of her neck. But then, something else broke through the hazy fog of her consciousness. It was a noise, almost as if someone had tripped and stumbled against the wall. It took another four seconds for her mind to register what this meant, but when it did, Lily gasped and jerked slightly out of James' grip to peer around him and catch a glimpse of the person who had caught them.

When she recognized him, her eyes widened and she squeaked out, "Severus?"

For it was indeed Severus Snape standing across the corridor from the Head Students, his black eyes gleaming suppressed rage. He was silently cursing himself for stumbling against the wall, but he had been so shocked when he rounded the corner and saw them that he had tripped over the hem of his robes. And then he had realized that it was Lily - _his Lily_ - who was kissing some boy down in a dungeon corridor, and his limbs had promptly frozen up, preventing him from darting down the corridor to safety. Severus knew the identity of the other boy before he even turned around. Gossip about the new couple had been flying all over the castle for the past couple of weeks. It was one thing to have to endure hearing others talk about how your sworn enemy had finally persuaded the object of your affections to date him. That, Severus could handle.

But he had no intention of putting up with the jeering look and triumphant grin he was certain were wreathing Potter's face, and so when Lily recognized him and James began to turn around to face him, Severus' reaction was swift and cruel.

"I didn't know letting the Head Boy stick his tongue down your throat was one of your duties as Head Girl, Evans," he sneered.

James stiffened and jerked instantly forward, but Lily reached for his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. At Snape's words, she had flushed scarlet, but her eyes were glimmering with indignation and anger. Lifting her chin, she glared haughtily across the corridor at Snape and retorted, "Actually, it's one of the perks of the job."

Severus snorted derisively, "And here I thought the Head Girl was supposed to be a model student."

This time, Lily went white as a sheet, and James could hold back no longer. Stepping forward, he glared menacingly at the other boy and snapped, "Ten points from Slytherin for mouthing off. And you'd better have a good reason for skulking around the dungeons this close to curfew or I'll be adding a week of detentions to that."

"No need," Snape said icily, "I'm on my way to a meeting with the Potions Master. If you refuse to believe me, I can show you his note."

"Get going then," James ordered, and with one last parting sneer, the other boy vanished down the hallway. Relieved, James turned back to face Lily and was dismayed to find that she looked close to tears. This was one emotion with which he had very little experience. If Lily was angry, worried or afraid, he had some vague idea of what to do. But tears? Not a clue. The fact that he hated seeing her sorrowed or in distress only made matters worse.

He lifted a hand and placed it gingerly on her shoulder, inquiring, "You okay, Lils'?"

She nodded her head and answered, "I'll be fine. I just... He was my best friend, and now..." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Somehow, Snape's harsh words a few moments earlier reminded Lily strongly of the day nearly seven years ago when Petunia had first called her a freak. And that was not a memory that Lily enjoyed reliving. It was hard enough to deal with the rejection of her own sister; at least they hardly saw each other nowadays. But add to that the sting of rejection from yet another person to whom she had been close and the older wound was made fresher. Worse still was the fact that Snape had essentially ruined what had been a beautifully romantic moment; it was no wonder that tears began to slide down her cheeks.

While James hated the fact that some other bloke had the power to make his girl cry, he didn't have thoughts to spare on that. His attention was focused on Lily, whom he could not stand to see in such distress. Very gently, he took her face in his hands and swiped away her tears with his thumbs, then bent to kiss her softly on the lips.

Despite her sorrow, Lily's heart swelled with a yet-unnamed emotion as he treated her with such tenderness. His lips were a very welcome distraction from the unresolved ache in her heart.

James pulled away after a few moments and asked, trying to keep his expression neutral, "You miss him?"

Lily sighed and hesitated a moment before replying, "I miss the boy he used to be." There was another beat of silence as James mulled over this statement, while Lily tried to think of a way to explain her severed friendship with the boy for whom she knew James held no warm feelings.

"He was the one who first told me I was a witch," she said. "And.. we had fun together when we were younger. He was different then. Before he started running around with.. with that lot. I suppose he became my new best friend after Petunia decided she didn't want to be associated with me anymore."

James nodded, glad to see that she was no longer crying. Reaching out to pull her against him, he asked quietly, "And that's hard to give up, then?"

Lily shook her head, biting her lip to keep from crying again, "I just didn't think he would..-" Her voice broke, but she took a breath and finished, "do the same thing that she did."

At this point, James was beginning to feel distraught himself. What sort of bastard was Snape to go around treating Lily like this? And what kind of idiot, to have thrown away her friendship? For he was convinced that the ending of the friendship had been entirely Snape's fault. The Lily he knew would never have broken off a friendship unless there had been some serious fault on the part of the other person, and Snape, in James' opinion, had treated his so-called best friend shamefully.

"Lily..," he said softly, touching her cheek to get her attention. "Lily, I can promise you that I will never break your heart. I promise you that right now."

Her only response was to tighten her arms around him, bury her face in his shoulder and begin to cry again.

"Aw, Lils, don't cry. Don't cry," he murmured, hugging her closer.

After a few moments, Lily's tears ceased once more, and she murmured, "I don't know why, but somehow I believe you."

Swallowing around the lump in her throat, she shifted in his arms to look up at him and even managed a tiny smile as she said, "You're rather wonderful, you know." And it was true. It was as though she had just seen James in an entirely new light. Before tonight, she hadn't realized how truly noble or understanding he could be. If she had not already, Lily was now dangerously close to falling head over heels in love with the bespectacled lad beside her. She just hadn't quite realized it yet.

James shook his head and smiled fondly down at her.

"Lily, I love you," he said earnestly, taking her hand and tugging her back into the center of the hallway. "Come on, sweet thing. We've got a long way until the end of patrols."

But Lily held back a moment, staring at him with a new light in her eyes.

"James, I...," she trailed off, struggling with feelings that she did not quite know how to put into words. In the end, she merely rose on tiptoe and kissed him again.

Though he was surprised she would want to kiss him so soon after the taunts Snape had just thrown at them, James made no attempt to resist. Before either could get too carried away, Lily pulled back and offered James a small smile as she said, "Thanks for understanding."

"It's my job," he said, returning the smile.

Lily giggled, despite her rather cloudy mood, and looped her arm through his.

"Well you're surprisingly good at it," she said. "I'm glad you never completely gave up on me."

"I couldn't possibly," James answered in perfect honesty.

"Shall we get the rest of this over with then?" she queried.

"Oh let's," he agreed, lacing his fingers through hers and leading them back out into the corridor. Fortunately, the rest of their patrol was without incident. The only remotely interesting occurrence happened when they discovered a very old and apparently very confused barn owl attempting to roost in one of the fourth floor classrooms and had to return it to the Owlrey. Apart from this little side trip, Lily was free to converse with James while pondering the revelation he had made earlier in the evening. It was not the first time he had told her he loved her. He had proclaimed this publicly numerous times back when they were fifth years. But this was the first time she thought he had really meant it and, more importantly, that she had believed him when he said it.

That scene replayed over and over in her head that night as she lay in bed, reflecting over how much her life had changed in the last several months. Her plans and dreams were all changing. Back in September, her only goal had been to study hard and ace her N.E.W.T.S. so that she would be accepted into the Healer Training Academy, all while thoroughly enjoying her last year in Hogwarts Castle. Then James had worked his way into her heart and into her life, and she was now realizing that he'd worked his way into her dreams as well. Somehow, no matter where she imagined herself living or what she saw herself doing, he kept popping up.

Until tonight, Lily had been a bit worried about the future of their relationship. Was this just some Hogwarts thing? If they went their separate ways after graduation, would he want to stay together? She sincerely hoped he would, because somehow James had quickly become one of the most important people in her life. She didn't want to try to imagine getting along without him. But after tonight, Lily felt she had a good reason to think that he wanted this to last just as much as she did. It was some of the best news she'd heard all week, and so, rolling over onto her side, Lily fell asleep with a smile on her face.

At breakfast the next morning, both James and Lily were in very good spirits. Until the Owl Post arrived, that is. Today's _Prophet_ headline brought news of yet another Inferi attack in London. It was like a very bad instance of déjà vu, but this time, the others watched James' face carefully as he unfolded his paper. As soon as his expression grew grim, they crowded around behind him to read over his shoulder.

_HORIFYING SCENE AT BATTERSEA PARK_

_Arnold Defport, _Daily Prophet

_It was a gruesome scene that met a Muggle couple this morning at Battersea Park, Queenstown Road, London. Aurors were summoned to the scene as a witch and wizard, opting to remain anonymous for their own safety, crossed the park to collect items from the lake for potioneering. What appears to be around twenty Muggles were slain in a mass killing determined to be the work of Inferi._

"_Horrible, it was," claims the witch, R. "I come past the little tykes' zoo, and there's a real pile of bodies. I took one look and then Apparated before I could be spotted by whoever done it. I never seen anything the like in all my days."_

_Thankfully, R had the sense to alert the Ministry immediately. Aurors were dispatched, and the remains of the murdered Muggles removed from the park vicinity before the park could be opened to visitors. _

_No motives or suspects have as yet been identified._

_The Wizarding community is once more beseeched to employ extreme caution when out of the home. Solo travel is discouraged, and any suspicious activity is to be reported. Any sightings of Inferi should be reported immediately to the Ministry of Magic. _

"Disgusting," Sirius said, shaking his head. "You're right, Prongs. Someone's got to put a stop to this."

"Are you really going to join the Aurors, James?" Peter inquired.

He nodded and said, "My application should be finished by the end of this week. Then, I'm owling it in."

There was a short stretch of silence as they all considered what this meant, then Sirius said in a much more serious tone than Lily had ever heard him use, "If that's how you really feel, Prongs, then... then I'm joining up with you."

"Really?" James asked, his face breaking into a grin despite the somber nature of the subject they were discussing. Although he and Sirius had discussed the Auror Academy before and Sirius had always supported his desire to join, he himself had never expressed any wish to commit to the same career path. Now, it was as though one of James' secret wishes would be fulfilled.

"That's great, Padfoot," he said, reaching out and slapping his best mate on the back.

His grin was mirrored on Sirius' face as he plucked the newspaper from James' hands to read the article for himself.

"Can't let you run off and get all the glory yourself, can I?" he explained. "Plus, someone has to be there to get you out of trouble when you take off on one of your mad, noble and heroic schemes."

The others, James included, chuckled over this comment. Lily reached for his hand under the table and gave it a fond squeeze.

"And I'll be there with the rest of the Medi Witches to patch you two up after you're finished charging recklessly into danger," she finished.

Ever the practical one, Remus cut in to say, "I hate to bring this inspiring conversation to an end, but if we don't get going soon, we'll all be dreadfully late to Transfiguration." Since none of the seventh year Gryffindor wished to risk their Head of House's wrath by slipping into her N.E.W.T.-level Transfiguration class late, this observation of Remus' caused all of them to shovel down (in the boys' case) the remaining food on their plates, ascertain that all of their things were in order in their school bags, and then hurry out of the Great Hall.


	20. A Confession

For five o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, the Gryffindor Common Room was unusually quiet. But, as this was the last Saturday before the Easter Holidays and therefore the last Saturday before the winter term exams, it was understandable that the vast majority of students in the common room were quietly reading or studying their notes. Lily Evans was no exception. She had hidden herself away in her favorite window seat since that morning, only leaving it briefly to eat lunch. Now, as she glanced from the textbook in her hands to the lovely view outside the window, she wished fervently that she did not have a Potions exam on Monday morning. But she did, and so she would have to forgo the pleasures of a walk around the castle grounds until another day.

Or so she thought. James, however, had other plans. He had never been the type of student to spend a lot of time worrying about or studying for his exams, and he did not intend to start now, in the middle of his last year at school. And especially not on a spring day as beautiful as this one. So instead of studying all afternoon, he had been plotting, and now the only missing piece in his plan was Lily. He strode into the Gryffindor Common Room and looked around for a glimpse of her flaming red hair. There was no sign of her. Hoping very much that she had not gone upstairs to her dormitory to study, James paused behind a couch where two younger students were seated and asked them, "Hey, is Lily in here?"

The girl looked up from the wizard comic book she and her friend were reading with a furrowed brow.

"Wha? Er... Somewhere over there I think," she said, waving her hand vaguely in the direction of the other side of the room, by the tower windows.

"Thanks," James said, striding over towards the windows, where he finally caught sight of his girlfriend. "Lily!" he called out as he approached, "What are you up to?"

Hearing a familiar and very welcome voice, Lily looked up from her Potions text, leaned out and peered around the side of her window seat, where she spied James hurrying towards her.

"Hi!" she answered brightly. "Just studying for Potions. Where've you been?"

"Oh I've been out and about," he responded, lounging against the wall beside her seat and smiling down at her. "I've got an idea. Can you drop your stuff for a bit?"

Lily quirked an eyebrow at him, her curiosity piqued.

"Umm sure. Hold on a sec," she said and fumbled around on the window seat for the scrap of parchment she'd been using as a bookmark. Once it was in place, she shut the textbook and looked up at James, asking, "So what's this idea of yours?"

He grinned and said, "Get a jacket, won't you?"

Lily smiled as well, taking this cryptic answer to mean that she would be enjoying a jaunt outdoors after all.

"M'kay. Be right back," she said, sliding off the window seat. She paused just long enough to press a kiss to James' cheek, then hurried upstairs for the requested outerwear. A few minutes later, she returned to James' side, wearing the dark green, wool-lined corduroy jacket that her aunt had given her at Christmas, and looked up at him expectantly.

"Alright, then," he said, reaching for her hand. "Come on, come on."

Lily smiled to herself as she was tugged along toward the door. His enthusiasm was so endearing! "So what's this idea of yours?" she asked as she stepped through the portrait hole.

He grinned down at her, "Wanna go on a date?"

For a moment, she paused and stared at him in mild surprise.

"Now? But it's-" she began, then stopped herself. She had been about to say "It's almost finals week," but the prospect of an evening at James' side was so much more inviting than spending it with her books that she had stopped herself.

"I'd love to," she said instead with a little shrug, comforting herself with the knowledge that she had all of tomorrow to finish reviewing before her Potions exam.

James, of course, knew what sort of brief internal struggle his girlfriend had just endured. He smirked good-naturedly and teased, "Ever the conscientious student. Come on, girl."

As they resumed walking down the corridor, Lily nudged him playfully.

"Someone's got to keep you in check," she said.

"And someone's got to get your head out of those books once in a while," he responded, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze.

"Well you're a very welcome distraction," Lily said truthfully.

James merely laughed and led her down the staircase toward the third floor. Lily, of course, had no idea where they were headed, and as she followed him down the corridor, she toyed with the idea of asking. But then, she reasoned, her darling boyfriend evidently had something up his sleeve, and she didn't really want to ruin the surprise for either of them. A few minutes later, they paused beside the statue of a one-eyed witch. While James fumbled in his pockets for something, Lily looked from him to the statue with one eyebrow raised.

"Hang on a sec," he said, pulling a piece of parchment out of his pocket and examining it intently. His brows furrowed for a moment, then he stuffed the parchment back in his pocket and drew out his wand. Looking down at Lily, he said, "Okay follow me and trust me, all right?"

She nodded in response and watched the interest as James tapped the witch's hump and muttered something she couldn't quite make out. Her interest turned into shock as she watched the hump open and reveal a dark passageway behind it.

"Where does it go?" she asked James, eyes aglow with excitement and curiosity.

"Down," was all he said. "Now please, please hurry." According to the Map, they had only about a minute before Professor Flitwick would pass this way, and James did not want the evening he had planned to be spoiled by a run-in with the diminutive professor.

Rolling her eyes at the cryptic answer, Lily nonetheless obeyed. After peering down into the passageway, she climbed in, only to discover that she had stepped onto a slide, not solid floor. She swallowed a shriek as she slid down to the bottom. Fortunately, the slide was short enough to prevent her from being injured upon landing. Once she found her footing, she pulled out her wand and muttered, "Lumos," so that James would have light to see by when he slid down after her.

With one last glance over his shoulder, James squeezed into the passageway and slid nimbly down to the bottom. The witch's hump slid closed just as he heard footsteps echoing down the corridor floor above them. Grinning and flushed with triumph at having once again snuck out successfully, he turned to Lily and reached for her hand. "All right there?"

"I'm fine," Lily responded, taking his hand and stepping close beside him. "That was a close one, hm?" she commented.

Beaming, James leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then straightened and continued walking down the passageway.

"Come on, then," he urged.

Lily followed dutifully along, but couldn't resist teasing him: "So you _didn't_ drag me down here for a secluded snog then?" Even if that had been his plan, she likely wouldn't have complained.

He smirked, "I mean..." Stopping, he tugged her backwards and pulled her flush against his chest before continuing, "all you had to do was ask..."

Giggling, she twined her arms around his neck and said, "That's all it takes?" Rising on tiptoe, she said softly, "Kiss me then, James."

As he was only too happy to oblige, their progress down the passageway was halted for a couple of minutes, until Lily finally remembered that she had been promised a real date this evening. She took a tiny step back and brushed her lips once more against James' before asking, "So.. the passage?"

"What of it?" he mumbled, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

Lily smiled and settled her head comfortably onto his shoulder as she prompted, "I still have no idea where it goes."

"Oh were you wanting to go on our date then?" James responded, smiling.

"Mhmmm," she answered. Wriggling her way out of his arms, she grabbed his hand and tugged him along behind her. "C'mon!"

James chuckled to himself as he followed, "Girl, you're quite the fox."

Lily smiled over her shoulder at him and said, without thinking, "But you love me anyway."

"Yeah, I do," he responded frankly. Two long strides later, he reached her side again.

Lily looked sideways at him with a shy, adoring smile, feeling her heart flutter at his words. Sometimes, she still found it hard to believe that she could have the love of someone like James. But the more time they spent together, the fewer and farther between those moments became. And the more certain she became that she felt just as strongly for James as he did for her.

After a few minutes of walking in companionable silence, she remembered something she had been meaning to ask him and said, "James? What are you doing over the Easter hols?"

He considered the question a moment and then responded, "Er.. nothing. I thought I should probably see my Da, as he's on his own, but I dunno if I should stay the whole holiday."

Lily's expression brightened. This was exactly the answer she'd been hoping to get.

"Welll are you free the weekend of April 2?" she asked.

James shrugged and said, "Yeah, sure. Why?"

"I was sort of hoping you could be my date to Petunia's wedding," Lily explained. And then, in case he didn't find the prospect of attending the wedding at all exciting (which, to be fair, she didn't either), she added, "It's going to be an awful weekend anyway, but if you were there..."

His lips twitched in a mischievous little grin as he asked, "Does this mean I get to meet the famous Vermin?"

"James!' Lily protested, but giggled despite herself. "Yes. But _please_ promise you won't call him that to his face." Despite how much she disliked her future brother-in-law, she did not want to cause a scene during what was supposed to be a happy occasion for him. But it was still amusing to picture the look on his face if he ever heard James call him by that name.

Then, her expression grew more serious as she added one last piece of information, "You'll also get to meet my parents. Well my dad at least. Mum still remembers you from Diagon Alley."

However worried Lily might have been that her request was an imposition on James, she needn't have fretted. He was actually elated. This was, after all, something he'd been hoping would happen for years. He was going to visit Lily Evans - and be introduced to her parents - as her boyfriend! But although his heart was actually jumping for joy inside his chest, he merely smiled and said, "That'd be nice."

"So you'll come then?" she queried, beaming up at him.

"Absolutely," he said and squeezed her hand affectionately.

Flinging her arms around him, Lily hugged him tightly and said, "Thanks. I'll write Mum as soon as we get back and let her know. She'll want plenty of time to clean out the guest room. The wedding's just on Sunday, but you can come for the whole weekend if you want."

James laughed and held her close as she babbled on excitedly.

"Lils, that's not necessary," he joked, "I can just sleep in your room."

She stiffened and pulled back just far enough to meet his eyes. As they hadn't had this particular conversation before, she didn't quite know what to say.

"But we can't- I don't-... my dad will most certainly _not_ be okay with that," she stuttered.

To her dismay, James' only response was to burst out laughing at the look on her face. Fortunately, he recognized the scowl beginning to transform her otherwise lovely features and said, "Oh, Lily, come off it. I was only joking."

Lily stilled again, and stopped trying to push herself free of his grip on her.

"Oh. Really?" she asked, after a pause.

"Girl, I want your parents to like me. Not to think I'm trying to get in your pants," James assured her. "Though I wouldn't complain..," he added and winked to show he was just teasing her again. Or at least partially teasing.

Lily blushed, but slid her arms around him again.

"Okay. Good," she said. "I'm really glad you're coming, though."

James smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. A glance at his watch revealed that it was almost dinner time, and they weren't even half way to their destination. Stepping back, he took Lily's hand once more and said, "We'll need to kick up our pace just a bit."

"Where are we going?" she asked as they resumed trudging down the passageway.

"You'll see," was all the reply James would give. As it turned out, the destination he had in mind was Hogsmeade - more specifically, The Three Broomsticks. They spent the next several hours side-by-side in a cozy booth in a back corner of the warm, well-lit pub. By the time they had finished their meals, downed a few butterbeers, and shared a giant slice of gooey chocolate cake, both Lily and James were in very good spirits. Lily had even managed to forget about the exams she was supposed to be studying for, and James was reveling in the triumph of finally having taken her out on a proper Hogsmeade date. They stayed cozied up in their booth, discussing everything from the war to the newest Led Zeppelin album to their friends and classes, as the pub's clientele began to thin.

It was not until they were two of a handful of people left in the room that they left the pub and headed back to the castle. Although James' watch proclaimed that the hour was very late, neither he nor Lily was in a hurry to get back to Gryffindor Tower. As she ambled down the passageway, arm in arm with James, Lily felt as though she were on top of the world. Somehow this evening had solidified a suspicion that had been growing in her heart: that she was deeply, irrevocably in love with James Potter. Even though they hadn't been dating all that long, she could no longer picture her life without him. The past month of their relationship had been like a glorious dream, one that Lily hoped would never have to end.

And right now, with their arms linked and both their lips swollen from their most recent bout of snogging in the dimly-lit passageway, it was easy to believe it never would. Her eyes glowing with happiness, she snuggled closer to James and murmured, "It's been a lovely evening. Thanks for sneaking me out with you."

"I'm glad you had fun," he said, turning his head to smile down at her. "I love you, Lils."

Her heart fluttered again at the adoring look in his eyes, and suddenly she couldn't hold it in any longer. Turning to face him, she clasped both his hands in her own and said softly, "James, I.. I love you too."

There was a moment of utter silence as James studied her intently, and then his face broke into a broad grin.

"C'mere," he said, pulling her close and bending his head to kiss her soundly. Lily sighed happily and looped her arms around his neck as she returned his kiss.

It was several minutes before either of them remembered exactly what time it was and where they were supposed to be heading. Even then, it was Lily who pulled back slightly and murmured with a little laugh, "You know.. if we were on patrols duty right now, we'd have to give ourselves both a detention."

"Oh patrols be damned," James muttered, tugging her close for another kiss.

"But I rather like patrols," she protested, in between kisses. "It means I get you all to myself. For a good two or three hours."

Taking her words as encouragement, James tilted his head and began kissing the soft, warm skin of Lily's neck. She shivered as his lips brushed a particularly sensitive spot and he smirked against her skin, moving his mouth back to hers. James was quite certain he could carry on kissing Lily for several months. Her lips were so soft, so warm, and molded so perfectly against his own. He'd kissed girls before- he'd been the first of his mates to get to that particular milestone- but none quite compared to the feeling of Lily pressed up against him. She always smelled so sweet and felt so smooth under his fingertips. He wanted to touch her and kiss her every minute of forever. Lily reached up and looped her arms around his neck, pulling him a bit aggressively toward her. He grinned against her lips and moved one hand to her back, pulling her fully against his body. She blinked a moment as she felt- _oh, Merlin, was that his-?_- and blushed furiously, kissing him all the same.

"James," Lily said breathily as she broke apart a good while later, "James, we've got to stop,"

James pressed his cheek to hers. "I know," he acknowledged. "I just don't want to."

"Me either," Lily said, glancing down at her half-open blouse. "But.. we can't- I mean, don't you think we should slow down?"

"No," James said bluntly, a smile curving across his lips. "But I know what you mean, and you're right." He took a deep breath. "Ooh, cold shower time."

Lily giggled, a flush tingeing her cheeks, and then set to straightening her clothes. James made a small sound of protest as she quickly did up the buttons of her shirt, but a brief yet severe look silenced him.

"Now," she said, reaching over to tighten the knot of his tie, "how on earth do we get out of here?

The Fat Lady was entertaining several witches from neighboring portraits when James and Lily approached Gryffindor Tower ten minutes shy of midnight. At first, she was so caught up in conversation with the otehr occupants of her picture frame that she did not notice the somewhat disheveled couple until Lily cleared her throat. The Fat Lady looked up from her card game.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, caught off guard. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the grinning, flushed faces, clasped hands, and the poorly-buttoned blouse adorning the red-haired girl.

"I suppose you'll be wanting in, then?" the Fat Lady asked, her tone carefully ubiquitous.

"Yes, please," Lily answered with a smile.

"And the password?" asked the Fat Lady expectantly.

"Ooh, yes," Lily giggled as James grinned fondly at her, "Spectrospecs."

"In you go, then," said the Fat Lady, swinging forward.

James grinned sheepishly at the portrait as the entered, but she returned his gaze with a preposterous sort of maternal look that made him want to laugh.

Lily's bubbly mood of only moments before began to wane quickly as the twosome approached the stairs.

"Hey, something wrong?" James asked.

Lily shook her head, feeling strangely close to tears.

"I just don't want tonight to end."

James laughed.

"Girl, you've got me as long as you want me- and maybe a bit longer than that. So, that gives at least until April second, yeah?" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the tip of her nose.

Lily couldn't help but smile as she cuddled close to James.

"I know," she admitted. "It's just- I've never felt this way about anyone before. And tonight has been so... magical." She leaned up to press a kiss to the corner of James' mouth. "I should warn you, I'm afraid I'm going to want you for much, much longer than April second. So don't you plan on going anywhere. Ever."

In lieu of a response, James tilted his head to kiss her mouth.

"Goodnight, love."

Lily smiled.

"I love you too. Goodnight." Quickly, she snuck one more kiss before reluctantly letting go of him. She darted up the stairs and out of sight, and James was left a moment to his thoughts before heading upstairs.

A gagging sound punctured the otherwise still common room. James wheeled around. He could feel his neck flushing, and he hoped that whoever that was hadn't been listening the entire time. Not that he was ashamed, of course, but still, that was private. And, as luck would have it, Sirius was sitting on the grand brocade sofa before the fire, legs propped on the armrest and arm behind his head. He had on his face a look of disgust, and- was that pity?- seemed bursting with something to say.

"What?" James demanded.

Sirius made a small production of sitting upright, avoiding full eye contact with James.

"Just so much... urgh."

James wrinkled his nose.

"O-kay," he said slowly. "Obviously something's bothering you. Spill it, 'cos I'll find out anyway."

Sirius seemed to be wrestling with finding the words to adequately describe his feelings. He chewed on his lip a moment, tossing his hair out of his eyes with a small flick.

"Alright, then," he said, appearing to decide to simply out with it. "I think you've bailed out on us, and I think it's bollocks. Let me finish-" he said as James began to protest "- and I'm not saying this cos I dislike your girlfriend or whatever, but you can't ignore the facts. James, do you know what tomorrow night is?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Tomorrow night is the full moon, and you didn't show up at our meeting. Which we couldn't have, because we couldn't find you. And then we couldn't find the map to find you. And you didn't have your mirror on you. So Pete and me figured you had some good reason to not show up, like you were in detention or something. But, then, it occurred to me, that you haven't been in detention lately, because you're changed. You're _all grown up_, or something. Which is cool, it's all part of it- not for me, of course, but you're the high n' lofty one. But you haven't been acting like any mate of mine. And now, _I_ have to sit and listen to you and Evans slobber all over each other instead of hearing from you why you didn't show tonight? That's rubbish, James. Absolute sodding rubbish. Now listen, mate, I'm with you to the end, and all. We're headed to the Academy together. You're my best, and I know that you're head over dick for this girl. Just don't ditch out on us completely, okay?"

"Sirius," James said shaking his head. "Mate, come off it, you know-"

"No, Prongs, the problem is just that. I _do_ know, and I was hoping to God and everybody that you wouldn't start up on this. I want to like her, really, I do, but it's going to be a trip if you start picking her over us all the time. Now are you coming tomorrow night, or what?"

"I'll be there," James affirmed, feeling his good mood deflate somewhat as he realized every word Sirius had spoken was true. After a few moments, James and Sirius headed up to the boys' room in relative quiet.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the seventh year girls' dormitory, a very different sort of conversation was taking place. After kissing her boyfriend goodnight, .Lily had walked- floated, rather- back to her room. The minute she opened the door, Marlene and Mary, who had been awaiting her return, pounced.

"And just where have _you_ been?" Marlene asked, a knowing gleam in her eye.

"I hope none of the Prefects caught their Head Boy and Girl in a broom closet after curfew," Mary teased, eyeing Lily's school blouse with a raised eyebrow.

Neither girl's teasing affected the glowing smile on Lily's face as she said, "I've been out with James. He whisked me off to Hogsmeade earlier this evening." With a few light steps, she reached her four-poster and leaped up onto the neatly made bed, where she promptly flopped on her back and grinned up at the maroon canopy.

"Girls," she proclaimed after a few moments. "I've had the most wonderful evening."

Marlene and Mary glanced at each other, then back to Lily, who had now turned her head to see the little picture of James that stood on her bedside table. The photographic James grinned and winked at her from within the confines of his frame, and Lily responded with a smitten smile.

After watching this exchange, Marlene was certain that something important had happened. She looked back at Mary, nodded in Lily's direction, and both of them bounded onto the foot of her bed.

"All right, Evans. Tell us what's happened," Marlene ordered.

Lily turned her head towards her two best friends.

"He loves me," she said. "He told me a few weeks ago, actually, but I wasn't sure how I felt about… well about all of that, so I sort of kept it to myself. But I've been thinking about it ever since, and I've realized that I love him too."

She flipped over onto her stomach so that she could see them better and added with a mischievous glint in her eye, "I told him tonight and.. let's just say he was glad to hear I feel the same way."

"Lily!" Marlene exclaimed, sitting straight up and beaming at her best friend. "This is amazing! You and James! Oh!" Her smile morphed into a smirk and she continued, "I _told_ you this would happen."

Mary cut in, "Yeah, we've had this called since… oh midway through fifth year."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yes, you told me. Multiple times. And I'm glad you were right," she said, her expression softening. "I can't imagine loving a better man than James."

"You two really are perfectly suited," Mary said seriously.

Marlene couldn't resist adding, "Yeah, 'cause he's one of the few blokes that can argue right back with our dear, stubborn friend here."

Lily flushed and said fondly, "Shut it, you." Mary giggled both at the truth of the statement and the redhead's reaction to it.

"No but seriously," Lily continued. "D'you remember a few weeks ago when the Prophet wrote about that big Inferi attack? He told me that night that he had decided he was only applying to the Auror Academy. He said those Muggles the Death Eaters targeted could have been my parents. Or me. And that, even if they weren't, he couldn't stomach the thought of just playing Quidditch while innocent people are dying."

The girls were silent for a few moments as they took in this news. It was Mary who finally broke the silence.

"Wow, Lil," she said. "That's…"

"Pretty impressive for a seventeen-year-old boy?" Lily finished for her. "I know. But that's just James for you."

"So now you two are deeply, madly in love," Marlene summarized. "You know what this means, right?" She paused for effect, allowing Lily enough time to glare at her in suspicion that she might mention the "m" word, then answered her own question: "You've simply _got_ to take him to Petunia's wedding with you. She will positively _die_ with jealousy."

Having been friend with Lily for years, Marlene and Mary had both seen pictures and heard numerous tales of the Dursleys-to-be. Neither girl thought much of the engaged couple, and since neither of them could be there to help Lily suffer through the wedding, they both thought it would be a good idea for James to accompany her.

"Oh don't worry," Lily responded. "I've asked him already. He said he'd come along. _Oh_…" And her expression fell as a daunting thought occurred to her.

Mary's brow furrowed and she inquired, "What's wrong?"

"His birthday," was the explanation. "It's less than two weeks away, and I have no idea what I'm getting him."

Mary's expression relaxed considerably.

"Well that's easily solved," she said, and the conversation turned to the less serious matter of brainstorming what sort of presents Lily could purchase until, eventually, all three girls fell asleep.


	21. The Quidditch Final

The next week of classes, being an exam week, plodded slowly along, but it did eventually come to an end. The following Saturday morning, promptly at nine o'clock, the Hogwarts Express steamed out of Hogsmeade Station and began its journey southward, carrying car upon car full of excited, chattering students, each one en route to his home for the Easter Holiday and each one anticipating two weeks of rest and relaxation before the final term began. Before any of them were ready, it was time for the third and final term of the school year to start, and they were all back on the train, headed north to Hogwarts.

The Gryffindor seventh years all crowded into one compartment and spent the train ride regaling one another with stories of their holidays. Mary had seen the boy from the Christmas holiday again, only to find that he'd begun dating another girl. The general consensus in the compartment was that he was a fool and didn't know what a good thing he was missing. Then Marlene told them all about her family's trip to Italy, and the bizarre ancient Roman wizarding customs they had learned about. Apparently they had all learned about the famous Roman wizards during History of Magic, but as none of them actually remembered anything from that class (expect, possibly, for Remus and Lily), Marlene's stories were something of a refresher course.

The boys, as it turned out, were full of tales of mischief, having spent the first week of the holiday at James' house. With only James' aging father and house elf for chaperones and the happy occasion of his eighteenth birthday to celebrate, they had run amok around the house and grounds much as they had when they were second years. After hearing Sirius brag for the third time about some ridiculous prank he had pulled on the Potters' house elf, Cholly,, Marlene turned to Lily and asked, "What about Petunia's wedding? How'd that go?"

"It went well," Lily answered. "No catastrophes the day of or anything."

"And did James win your parents over?" Marlene prodded.

Lily grinned and glanced up at James, in whose lap she was currently seated.

"Yeah, I'd say he did. He even managed to charm Petunia for a bit," she replied.

"That's my boy," Sirius said proudly.

Both Marlene and Lily rolled their eyes, and Marlene asked, "What about Vernon?"

"Oh," Lily began, then had to smother a laugh as she and James shared a smile. "I'm not sure he knew what to make of James."

"He was expecting someone a little different, I think," James said, "Because Petunia had already had to explain to him about me and Lily."

"Yeah. He got this really bizarre look on his face when he shook James' hand. Like he had expected to meet a bloke wearing a frog leg necklace and a pointy hat, not someone who looked so..."

"Normal?" James supplied helpfully.

Lily smirked and teased, "I was going to say 'handsome, intelligent and charming,' but sure. We can go with yours."

"Oh no. I defer to the lady," James hastened to say, trying in vain to suppress a grin as the others chuckled at the pair.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

Lily leaned up and kissed James' cheek softly.

"Any way, it was a much better weekend than I'd thought it would be," she continued. "Of course I didn't get a chance to relax until it was over, but having my parents all to myself this last week was fun."

"Good thing you had some down time over the holiday," Peter remarked morosely. "Once we get back, all we'll be doing is studying for N.E.W.T.s."

"Aw c'mon, Pete," James said. "There's still the Quidditch final. And the bloody awesome party we'll have when Gryffindor wins again."

Peter perked up considerably with this reminder.

"Oh yeah! Do we know who we're playing yet?"

"Slytherin and Hufflepuff've got a match to play," Sirius said. "And whoever wins that is playing us in the final, right Prongs?"

The rest of the train ride was spent debating the various merits of these two house teams. Once the boys got started talking about Quidditch, there was no way to stop them. Indeed, when the spring term began the next day, the whole school seemed to be infected with end-of-season Quidditch fever. The excitement only intensified the next weekend, after Hufflepuff beat Slytherin in the last match of the regular season. Hufflepuff was now set to match up against Gryffindor for the final in the first weekend of May. A good-natured rivalry sprang up between the two houses, with the whole school taking sides. The Slytherins, of course, sided with Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw was rather evenly split between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The old "Potter Power" badges began to appear again as Gryffindor House rallied behind their team and its captain. Gryffindor, with their undefeated record, was the favorite to win. As the fateful weekend approached, the entirety of Gryffindor House was in a state of perpetual excitement.

Though she was not the most avid Quidditch fan, Lily found herself caught up in the anticipation as well. Along with Remus and Peter, Lily and the girls had begun creating a whole host of paraphernalia to wear to the match in support of James and Sirius. Lily had gone one-step farther than the "Potter Power" badges and had charmed one of her yellow t-shirts to flash the words in sparkling, scarlet letters across her chest. Marlene, Mary and Remus had shirts which flashed "Go, go Gryfffindor!" in succession, with each shirt sporting one of the words, and Peter's shirt displayed the Quidditch Cup on a banner of Gryffindor red and gold. But the piece de resistance was a giant banner bearing the words "Gryffindor for the win!" and with a lion's head in the middle. Lily and Remus were currently working on a way to charm the lion's head to roar and shake its mane every time that Gryffindor scored. The difficulty of this task was exacerbated by the fact that they were determined to keep it a secret from James and Sirius, whose expertise in this area would have been a tremendous aid.

The Quidditch excitement was also a welcome distraction from the N.E.W.T.s that were looming large in the seventh years' futures. It gave Lily something else to think about when she simply could not stand another minute of studying. Really, the only downside she could see was all the extra practices being held, which meant she had less time to spend with James. She was not quite sure how her boyfriend was managing all the demands on his time. In between his classes, N.E.W.T.s, his Head Boy duties and captaining the Quidditch team, she was surprised (but very grateful) that he still managed to find time to spend with her. There were times when she almost felt guilty for making him spend time with her or worried that he would rather be catching up on sleep.

But Lily's fears were entirely ungrounded. She was not forcing James into doing anything he was not already delighted to be doing. Though their relationship was now almost three months old, the shine had yet to wear off of it. James was living in one of his most cherished dreams, and he was reveling in every minute of it, despite how tired he was when his head finally hit the pillow at night. When he woke up on the morning of the final, he could have sworn the sun was shining brighter than usual. Today was _the _day. The Quidditch Cup was just within his grasp.

"Today's going to be brilliant, lads. I can feel it," James said, as he, Sirius, Remus and Peter all descended the staircase.

"The perfect end to a perfect year!" Peter agreed.

Remus raised an eyebrow and reminded them all, "Well not _quite_ the end. There's still N.E.W.T.s to worry about."

James opened his mouth to remind Remus of today's no-N.E.W.T.-discussion policy, but he was distracted by the sight of Lily Evans sauntering towards him, fully decked out in red and gold (and looking bloody gorgeous in his opinion), with a huge grin on her face.

As today was a momentous occasion for James, Lily had gotten all dressed up (or as much as one can when wearing a t-shirt with someone's face on it). She had been waiting in the common room, with Mary and Marlene, for the boys to come downstairs, so they could accompany their Quidditch stars to breakfast with a reasonable amount of pomp and circumstance. Once she had heard their voices on the stairs, Lily had hopped to her feet and pranced over to the end of the staircase to meet them.

"Well hellooooo, Captain Potter," she said as James came into sight. As he stepped down beside her, she fluttered her lashes up at him, half in jest and half seriously. He did, after all, look absolutely stunning in that Quidditch uniform of his.

James grinned and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek as he slung an arm around her shoulders. With a nod towards the portrait hole, he led the group off towards the Great Hall and their breakfast, a decided swagger in his step.

The arrogant grin on his face was matched only by Sirius, who commented as they climbed through the portrait hole, "I can't wait 'til we get it over with."

Lily leaned around James and asked curiously, "Why?"

"You have _no_ idea how much Firewhisky is in our room," he responded with a wink.

Rolling her eyes, Lily said, "Should've guessed you'd say something like that."

James chuckled, but Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"Don't act like you don't want to get a bit sloshed today, Miss Evans," he said. "You're just as worldly as the rest of us, don't forget."

Lily lifted her chin and responded in lofty tones, "I just prefer something a bit more tasty than _firewhisky_ to get me plastered."

"Oh cut it out, you two," James interrupted before Sirius could comment back.

Accepting the change of subject, Lily smiled at both of them and tugged on James' hand as she said, "C'mon boys. We've got to get you fed good and proper before you go out and conquer the Pitch."

James grinned and followed her down the staircase.

"And off we go. Good thing we did homework last night, Lils, 'cos there's no guarantee any of us will be lucid enough to get anything done today," he commented with a laugh.

At the bottom of the staircase, Lily paused and leaned up to kiss the corner of his mouth. An impish smile played about her lips as she returned, "I'm going to remind you of that the next time you complain about me forcing you to finish a Charms essay."

"Hey now, no pre-match snogging," Sirius interrupted. "No bloke can fly straight when he's hard, not even Captain Courageous over here."

Lily's face flushed bright red, as Sirius had intended, and she unwound her arm from around James' waist to reach out and smack at Sirius.

James merely laughed and said, "Lily... he's telling the truth."

She frowned, then tossed her hair and said haughtily, "All right then. I suppose I'll just keep my hands to myself. Wouldn't want to jeopardize your performance." With that, she fell back into step with Marlene, Remus and Mary, who had been following behind them, leaving James and Sirius to lead the way alone.

"Don't sweat it, Lily," Remus said. "The pair of them are almost insufferable before all the matches."

"Well as long as they win...," Marlene said.

Changing the subject, Lily asked, "You and Peter finished the banner last night, yeah?"

Remus nodded, and Peter explained, "Yeah. Had a bit of trouble with that one. It caught stuck mid-roar, and we couldn't get it to shut up."

Lily's eyes widened. The banner simply had to be ready. They'd been working on it all week. She glanced down at her watch and said, "Well if we hurry with breakfast, we should have time to go fix it before the match starts."

Chuckling, Remus shook his head and said, "We wouldn't have been able to sleep if I hadn't already done so. Thanks, though."

"Oh. True," Lily said, laughing at her momentary lapse of reason. "So it's done then?"

"Yeah. I've got it in my bag," Peter answered, indicating the large, bulging knapsack he'd been carrying.

"Excellent!" Lily exclaimed as they stepped through the doors of the Great Hall. Spying James and Sirius making a bee-line for the Gryffindor table, she hurried to catch up. Once she reached James' side again, she tucked a hand through his arm and asked innocently, "So am I allowed to at least sit with you, Captain? Or is my overwhelmingly beautiful presence just too distracting for you?"

James raised his eyebrows and grinned down at her, "Of course you're sitting with me. Number one fan and all that, right?"

"Just checking," she said airily, then turned and stuck her tongue out at Sirius.

"I'm warning you, Red, don't try anything funny," he said as he plopped down on the bench and immediately began helping himself to a heaping plateful of breakfast.

"Yes, Mum," Lily responded, rolling her eyes at him.

At this precise moment, however, her charmed shirt made one of its switches from the sparkling "Potter Power" to the picture of James on his broom that adorned the buttons that half the Gryffindor table were wearing. Since this change took place across the very alluring curves of his girlfriend's chest, James watched a bit longer than was necessary. And the entire group noticed.

"Oi! Potter! Eyes on the prize!" Sirius exclaimed, thwacking his mate on the back, causing Remus to choke on his pumpkin juice and Marlene to burst into nervous giggles. Sirius nudged his best mate. "Prize, singular. As in the Cup. Not to be confused with cups, plural."

Flushing red, James hastily looked back at his plate and muttered, "Got it."

Lily was blushing as well, but she was also growing very tired of Sirius' comments.

"Are you sure you're ready to be eating with the big kids, Black?" she snapped. "Maybe you should go back and sit with the first years."

"Oh come off it," he returned. "If we lose today, I'm blaming you and your..." He trailed off and gestured towards her chest with cupped hands, which was now back to flashing words instead of James' face.

As Lily blushed an even darker shade of red, Remus took pity and kicked Sirius under the table. It was Marlene, however, who came to the rescue by changing the subject.

"So Sirius," she asked, "I hear you've got a party planned for tonight?"

His grin widened.

"It's going to be tops," he responded. "Everyone get excited. And no one under fifth year is invited to the _actual_ party."

Talk of the after-party continued throughout breakfast, but long before James would have liked, he and the rest of the team were headed out of the Great Hall, through the front doors and down the lawn toward the Pitch. Anticipation for this moment had been building for some time. It was the Quidditch final of their seventh year. James had led the Gryffindor House team to two successive victories in the years previous, but this match seemed even more direly important to the entire team. The majority of the team was in seventh year, and James knew that their thirst to win the match and give Hogwarts a proper goodbye was just as pressing as his own.

The customary pre-match time of silence was just as hallowed as ever in the lockers. James and his teammates got dressed quickly, each players' eyes bright. The energy in the changing room was nearly palpable. Once geared up, James called the team together. It was needless, of course, as there were no conversations to interrupt or focus to reclaim. The rumble of hundreds of pairs of feet overhead grew as almost the entire student body trooped down the lawns and into the stands. The Quidditch final was always the best attended match of the school year, and this day's weather made it almost impossible for even the most dedicated students to justify remaining inside.

"Listen, you lot," James said, looking around at the other players. "We're here, and we've earned it. I've got to say that it's been a damn good ride, too. But this is it. Everything's come to this moment. And it's time for us to get out there and play like hell."

A moment of silence followed.

"What, that's it?" asked Sirius, an incredulous grin on his face. "Prongs, it's the last time anyone is truly obligated to listen to you. Surely you can do a bit better. Here-" he said, stepping up next to his best mate. He cleared his throat and rumpled up his hair, eyes narrowed as if squinting, much as James did whenever he was without his glasses.  
"Oi, listen up, you lot," Sirius said authoritatively, hands on his hips. "I know you're nervous, I know you're sore from that absurd four-hour training session I called last night even though you were all doing essays and homework and would have rather gotten good marks and a decent night's sleep. I know." He shot a grin at his best mate, who was wearing a rather amused expression. Sirius paused. "Care to jinx me for my sass, Prongs?"

"Oh no, you're doing good. I'm inspired. Carry on." James gestured toward the other teammates.

"Cheers," Sirius said. "At any rate, this is Hufflepuff. Huff-ull-fucking-puff. They've got a decent team, but it's nowhere in the same league as us. I mean, honestly, we've had this thing in the bag for ages. Brumley, you're the best Seeker at Hogwarts. Chasers, your formations are spot-on. Beaters, you're doing one hell of a job. And O'Donnell, we're blessed to heaven, hell and limbo that we found you. But now, it's time. This is seventh year, and this is very probably our last shot at ever playing Quidditch. We're going on to careers and life and the whole bloody world out there. So go out, and make me proud. Make your teammates proud. Make Gryffindor proud."

The Keeper, Nancy O'Donnell clapped her hands. "Full out," she said. "Thissus our time. Our match, and tha's our Cup."

"We'll flatten them, Sirius and I will, promise," said Joshua Finch earnestly, clutching his bat.

The often-stoic Roger Plumley cracked a smile. Mariel Bennett nodded.

"We've got this, James. Honestly."

"Oh, right, sure thing. No pressure," joked the Seeker, Jordan Brumley. Everyone laughed.

"Right, then," said James, grinning at his team, shaking his head at Sirius. "Let's get on with it, shall we? I mean, we've got a match to play, a Cup to win, and about fifteen bottles of Ogden's Old Firewhisky to drink!"

"Hear, hear!" Sirius said, tying his long hair back in an elastic.

As they headed out of the locker rooms and into the stands, James slipped on his bracers and leaned toward Sirius.  
"Where did that speech come from? I've never heard you sound so much like Remus."

Sirius shrugged.  
"That's the speech you gave us last time we played them, more or less. I added a few words. Hey, did you ever realize how poncey Hufflepuff house sounds? I just did now, when I was being you. Huff-ull-_puff_!"

James rolled his eyes.  
"Is this really the time?" he asked. "You can talk about them being ponces when I've got that Cup in my hand."

"You're not worried, are you? Come off it, James. We're going to win it. It's just a matter of time before you and Evans are drunk off your arses and snogging. Hey, who knows? Maybe you'll get a little something from her, eh?" Sirius made a very provocative and involved gesture.

James' neck flushed. Before he could respond, they were blinking out in the bright sunlight. A deafening cheer rocked the stands as Gryffindor took the field. James felt his heart soaring, and for a moment, he wondered why on earth he had removed his name from consideration for the UIQL. Hundreds of faces stared down at the team, clapping and cheering. James grinned; he couldn't help it. The Hufflepuff team appeared moments later, and the sound redoubled. As he and the Hufflepuff Captain, Eric Chessey, shook hands, James was filled with anticipation. He let go of the handshake far too soon.

"All right, Potter?" Chessey grinned, twirling his Beater's bat.

"I reckon so," James returned, wanting more than anything to go mount his broom and get this match going. "Best of luck, and all that." Adrenalin was building a fire in his stomach. The sounds from the stands, the gleam of the goal hoops – it all was driving him to distraction.

Chessey nodded. "You, too. And all that."

"Mount your brooms!" called the referee, and the Captains took their sides, straddling their broomsticks.

At the whistle, the two teams soared into the air. When the ref threw the Quaffle high, it was James who caught it first. He caught sight of Jordan Brumley streaking off toward the north end of the Pitch, the two bludgers flying high before spiraling toward players, but then all was lost. His attention focused on the bright red ball under his arm. He took off for the Hufflepuff goal hoops, deaf to anything other than the wind in his ears. Mariel Bennett was close by, James passed to her and continued on. Joshua Finch appeared on his other side, and the Quaffle went to him with a solid _thump_. The Quaffle came back to James, who dodged a bludger and then hooked wide, throwing hard for the right hoop.

"POTTER SCORES!" roared the commentator. James couldn't place the voice, and the cheer was enough to drown out any of the stats the announcer was giving. He briefly searched for Lily at the front of the Gryffindor stands, but couldn't spot her. A bludger whizzed past his knee and he took off, heading back down the field where Macready, a Hufflepuff chaser, had the Quaffle.

James and Sirius almost collided when their paths crossed abruptly. James had to pull up sharply, and Sirius cursed.  
"Head in the game, Prongs!" he shrieked, hitting a bludger with such force that it struck the Hufflepuff Keeper, Richards, in the stomach almost instantly.

And suddenly, Mariel had the Quaffle. She was flying toward him. He wheeled around and sped off toward the Hufflepuff goal hoops. Joshua was already there, waiting. Mariel chucked the Quaffle to Joshua, who feinted passing to James. Richards had drifted toward James, anticipating, and leaving Joshua with an entirely open goal.

"FINCH SCORES! That's another goal for Gryffindor!"

Macready had the Quaffle again. James accelerated and was neck-and-neck with Macready in mere seconds. He reached out and punched the Quaffle, but Macready held fast. He threw hard to his teammate, who dropped it. Mariel, flying below the fray, caught it, and changed direction so rapidly that James never registered her turning around. Wind whipped through his hair, the sun inched out from behind a cloudbank and momentarily dazzled him. The sound of the referee's whistle jarred him out of his approach on the Hufflepuff goalkeeper.

"Haversacking!" cried the commentator. "It appears that Bennett got a bit too close-"

James groaned. A penalty! That was the last thing he wanted. He ran a clean game if he could help it. Which, as Sirius played Beater, never actually happened.

Macready took the shot. The Quaffle sailed cleanly through the rightmost hoop. James groaned and dived to retrieve the Quaffle as Nancy punched the air in vexation.

"And it's twenty-ten to Gryffindor! And Potter's got the Quaffle, passed off to Bennett. Mariel Bennett with the Quaffle, to Finch, and back to Potter." The faceless commentator's voice connected in James' mind. It was Tristan Bishop. He smirked, remembering the night he'd cold cocked the boy, and chucked the Quaffle back to Joshua.

After the penalty, the Gryffindor house team intensified its efforts. The Gryffindor Beaters were flying almost recklessly around the Pitch, hitting the bludgers with such force that the Hufflepuffs had to bring on a reserve Chaser after Sirius hit Macready in the face, leaving him thoroughly concussed. The new Chaser, Jenson, had the advantage of being fresh, but it became quickly apparent that Jenson was a reserve for a reason. The stand-in Chaser turned over the Quaffle to Gryffindor no less than eight times in as many minutes.

Half an hour later, Gryffindor was up one hundred and ten points to forty. James' whole body was aching. Sweat trickled freely into his eyes, burning at the corners and blurring his vision. Victory was close, he could feel it as he searched the pitch for Jordan Brumley, who had been flying easy loops around the Hufflepuff Seeker. But where-? James stomach lurched in horror as he saw, moments before the crowd, as Brumley, hovering near the ground, bail off his broom and vomit in the well-trimmed grass of the pitch.

"And what's this?" came Tristan Bishop's voice. "Brumley's spewing 'cross the Pitch. Ref, come on, then!" A shrill whistle blast indicated a time-out. James shot toward Brumley, waving his team down. On the ground, Brumley lay on his side, clutching his stomach, his face pale and mouth smeared with sick. James dismounted hurriedly and dropped to his knees beside his teammate.

"Brumley, what's wrong?" James asked, horrified.

Jordan moaned in response and retched. James jumped back, but not quickly enough. He gagged, wiping Jordan's sick off his bracers. The crowd had grown relatively quiet, a loud rumbling murmur taking the place of the usual cheers or booing.

"Looks like an upset for Gryffindor, and I don't mean stomach," said Tristan Bishop's magically magnified voice. Sirius glared at him from where he stood on the pitch, raising his hand in a very rude gesture toward the boy.

"Potter! Brumley! What's going on?" Professor McGonagall and the school nurse were hurrying toward the fallen Seeker. "Did you eat something, Brumley?"

"Ooh, I wonder if he drank enough water this morning," fussed the nurse, kneeling down gingerly and checking Brumley's pulse. "Brumley," she cooed, "darling, can you hear me? What- did- you- drink- this- morning? Any water? Tea? Pumpkin juice?"

Jordan lifted his head and croaked; "Ch-chocolate milk,"before promptly vomiting again.

"Poor stupid boy," nodded the nurse, leaping back delicately. "I fear the little thing's dehydrated, Minerva. Hospital Wing, right away, no excuses."

McGonagall's mouth was stretched in a thin line. "Bring on your reserve, Potter," she said.

"But, Professor," he protested. "Surely there's a potion or something- he can't be that ill, surely!"

"Your reserve, Potter. Now." McGonagall snapped. "You have got one, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah," James mumbled, reddening. "It's.. er... _me_."

"Your hubris, Potter, is going to be the death of us all." Professor McGonagall closed her eyes. "Very well, play a man down. Get back on your brooms, the lot of you." She turned on her heel and stalked back toward the stands, hands balled into tight fists.

James stood and faced his teammates, whose faces were a mixture of determination and incredulity. He squared his shoulders and picked up his broom, thinking quickly.

"Team," he called, motioning them toward him. "Chasers, redouble everything. We're playing without a Seeker, so we've got to get a substantial lead before their Seeker can catch the snitch. Beaters, I want you to take the piss out of everyone on that fucking team. Nancy, don't let them get you on those penalties- you're better than that. We can still get this, you lot. No fear!"

"None at all," nodded Sirius.

As Jordan Brumley was escorted, retching, toward the Hospital Wing, the Gryffindors took to the air once more.

The loss of their Seeker seemed to give the Gryffindor house team new courage. Each seemed determined to outdo himself to make up for the team's disadvantage, but after forty minutes of hard flying, the general energy was flagging. Gryffindor had deepened their lead 220-80. James was panting, his arms burned, and he wanted nothing more than for Hufflepuff to catch the damn snitch already. He caught the Quaffle from Finch, but waited only a moment to check on the other seeker's progress.

He watched as the Hufflepuff Seeker dove toward the pitch, a determined grin on his face. James' eyes followed his descent and saw the snitch hovering near the grass by the remnants of Jordan Brumley's stomach. A bludger whizzed past James' left ear toward Brumley, and the Gryffindor captain wheeled around to see who had hit it. It was Sirius.

"NOT YET!" he screeched.

James' mind raced, and then a stream of swear words poured from his mouth. He kicked his broom forward, cursing his mathematical oversight. If he could score one more goal before that damn boy snagged the snitch, Gryffindor would have it. Flattening himself on his broom and racing toward the Hufflepuff goalhoops, he dodged the keeper and hurled the Quaffle as hard as his sore arm could manage. It was going to go in; he was about to score-!

"Go, go, go!" he urged the Quaffle.

The final whistle blew half a second before the Quaffle sailed through the rightmost goalpost, falling slowly and harmlessly back to earth. Behind him, the stands broke into raucous applause. James wanted nothing more than to sink to the pitch. He felt hollow. Blood pounded in his ears. He turned and flew toward the ground as the Hufflepuff team danced around their goalposts, arms in the air, shrieking with glee. His team joined him, rather slowly and unenthusiastically. They stood there a long moment, each unsure of what to say.

"Well," James ventured, trying to think of something he could manage without his voice cracking, "shit."

"And that's it, lads! That's the match! Gryffindor falls, last-moment, to Hufflepuff! That'll be an upset for James Potter, that will." Tristan Bishop's smirk was evident in his voice. "The score stands at two-hundred thirty, two hundred twenty to Hufflepuff! Ah, and there's the Cup, handed to Eric Chessey by our own referee. That's the match, lads. Wow, what a turnaround. "

While the rest of Gryffindor House filed dejectedly out of the stands and back to the castle to commiserate in their common room, Remus, Peter and Lily headed for the boys' locker room. When they reached the doorway, Lily pulled Remus back a moment and asked, "Can you just check that they're, you know..." She blushed, unable to complete the sentence, and nodded meaningfully towards the door.

Remus understood what she meant, and he nodded before following Peter inside. Two seconds later, he poked his head back out and smiled at Lily, "All clear."

"Thanks," she responded and followed with some degree of interest. To her dismay, she discovered that the boys' locker room did, in fact, smell like feet, but she was almost immediately distracted from this unpleasant smell by the realization that James was currently shirtless, seated on a bench on the near side of the room. As Lily had yet to encounter him in such a state of undress, she received a very pleasant shock at the sight. Had the circumstances been different, she would have been wishing the other lads would leave them in privacy for a while. Instead, she tore her eyes from James' chest and looked around the room for Sirius, who was in the back corner shoving his things dejectedly into his gym bag.

Peter was the first to break the silence.

"So...," he mumbled, unsure what else to say but uncomfortable with the lack of noise in the room.

Lily approached James slowly, sat down beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," she said quietly, watching him with concerned eyes.

James merely grunted and continued staring at his trainers, either unable or unwilling to make eye contact with any of them.

There was another long beat of silence. Then he took a deep breath, raised his head, and muttered, "Piss."

Offering him a gentle smile, Lily slid her arm around his shoulders.

"I know," she said simply, looking from James to Remus, who was leaning against the wall by the door, watching both of his friends with the utmost sympathy in his eyes.

From across the room, Sirius slammed his locker door shut and grumbled, "You and your damn breasts, Red."

"Real helpful, Sirius," Remus commented.

For her part, Lily decided to ignore Sirius' crassness. As best she could figure, it was his way of dealing with the disappointment. Instead, she nudged James in attempt to get him to look up at her and teased, "You're gonna be okay, right? Not planning to go drown yourself in the shower or anything?"

"No, no," he said. "I... it just feels really surreal. We've always known we were going to win, and-"

"And we didn't," Sirius interrupted, slumping onto the bench on his side of the room.

Remus rolled his eyes, hands raised.

"Again! So helpful."

"You guys played really, really well though," Peter interjected, attempting with his buoyant tone to boost the morale inside the locker room. "It was just rotten luck is all."

"Yeah!" Lily agreed. "That last goal you scored was... a bloody amazing shot. And Sirius, I've never seen you so er... accurate with your bat."

James sighed. Words seemed to fail him. He opened and shut his mouth several times, searching.

"I just... Merlin. Who would have seen it coming?" he said. "And Hufflepuff. Bloody _Hufflepuff_."

"They've been a pretty good team this year, though," Lily countered. "Weren't you saying they played really well in their last match with Slytherin?"

"Yes well," James grumbled, unable to argue with this fact.

After another pause, Sirius stood up and said in falsely bright tones, "Well, gents, looks like we'll be drowning our sorrows tonight, instead of dousing our victory."

Remus smirked and responded, "We've certainly got enough liquor stockpiled for it. What do you say we eat some lunch first though? Alcohol and empty stomachs don't mix all that well."

"Sod you and your practicality," Sirius said as he walked towards the door.

"If you eat beforehand, you'll be able to drink more," Remus reminded him.

"Can we just nick it from the kitchens?" Sirius asked. "I don't much fancy seeing the Slytherins at the mo'."

As he followed Sirius out the door, Peter nodded, "Sure." Then he looked back at James and asked, "You in, Prongs?"

James looked up and shook his head.

"I'll be along later all right?" he said. Though he knew he would have to face the rest of the school eventually, he really didn't want to be the Losing Captain right now. All he wanted at the moment was Lily, and even that made him a little unsure. Would she still think the same of him now that he was a Quidditch failure, not a superstar? She had been so excited, had been talking about it all week. The rest of Gryffindor's disappointment he could handle, but not Lily's.

None of his friends protested, though Peter looked slightly confused as he shrugged, "Suit yourself."

"See you later then," Remus said, and nudged Sirius out the door.

Once his mates were gone and they were alone in the locker room, James reached wordlessly for Lily's hand and tugged her down to sit beside him.

Her brow furrowed, and she studied him with a worried expression as she settled onto the bench by his side.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Other than the obvious, of course."

"D'you mind if we just sit a moment?" he asked, looping his arms around her. Having grown up an only child - and a male one at that - James had never been prone to talking about his feelings, particularly the negative ones.

"Not at all," Lily smiled and cuddled happily close to his side. She was certain that James was more upset about the loss than he was letting on - why else would he have sent his friends away? - but she wasn't quite sure how to help. So they sat in silence for a few moments until the unmistakable smell of boy in the room became too much for her to bear.

"Although... can we sit someplace that er... doesn't smell like sweaty trainers?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

James nodded, "Yeah. Let's go... someplace."

Standing, Lily tugged on his hand and urged, "C'mon then. It's a lovely day. We can go down to the lake." Maybe getting out into the bright spring sunshine would improve his mood.

He followed her down the path towards the Hogwarts Lake, holding onto her hand as though it were a lifeline. When they came within sight of the glistening blue waters a few minutes later, Lily finally broke the silence again, "I don't think people will blame you, you know. Not really."

James just shrugged and said, "Yeah. I hope not."

There was another pause, and then he finally voiced the question that had been bothering him since the end of the match: "So... this doesn't change things, right?"

Lily turned her head and looked up at him in complete confusion, unable to understand what losing the final had to do with their relationship.

"What do you mean ch-" she began, falling silent as comprehension dawned. "No!" she exclaimed, shaking her head emphatically, "How could you-"

Then her expression softened and she asked, "Have you been worried about that?"

His only response was a shrug, but Lily could see a flush creeping over his cheeks. Her heart wrenched painfully in her chest as she realized this must be the reason behind his inordinately gloomy state. Had he been expecting her to end things with him ever since the end of the match? She gave his hand a tug to stop their progress towards the shoreline and turned to face him, taking his other hand in hers.

"James...," she said gently, "I don't love you because you're great at Quidditch."

"I didn't say that, I...," he blustered, his eyes fixated on the ground once more, resisting the urge to squirm at the awkwardness of the situation. James was entirely unused to being vulnerable in this way, particularly with Lily, for whom he always wanted to appear strong, certain and capable.

"I know," she responded, giving his hands a fond squeeze. "But I hope you know that you're so much more than just a star Chaser to me, love. You're ridiculously smart and so fearless. When I'm with you, I feel like I could take on anything. And you always know how to make me laugh, no matter how horribly I'm feeling."

James glanced sheepishly up at her a few times, now doubly embarrassed at her speech, but remained silent.

"You're the kindest, most loyal person I've ever known," she continued. "I know I can trust you with anything. _That's_ why I love you, James. Not because of how well you perform on the Quidditch Pitch. Or at anything, really"

There was a pause, and then she added, an impish grin dancing across her lips, "Although.. I do have to confess that your performance in the snogging category has definitely earned some points in your favor."

In spite of his dour mood, James couldn't hide a shaky grin, "Oh really?"

Lily nodded and stepped a bit closer to him, her jade green eyes shimmering with affection as she answered, "I love you so, so much. More than I ever thought I could love anybody. Losing a Quidditch game is not going to change that one bit."

"Swear?" he asked, inching closer to her.

She nodded solemnly, "Swear."

After a proclamation like this one, James felt the only proper response he could make was to kiss her. And so he did, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her close. Lily responded eagerly, lacing her arms around his neck and twining her fingers through his messy, black hair.


	22. Mischief Managed

Gryffindor House eventually recovered from its surprising and disheartening defeat at the hands of Hufflepuff. The fifth and seventh years, in particular, made a hasty recovery for the simple fact that they suddenly found themselves with mounds of studying to do. Almost before they knew it, O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were upon them. The examination week dragged slowly on, with the frazzled students spending their days taking tests, worrying about them, or studying for them. By the time Friday finally arrived, Lily was ready to fall asleep as soon as her last test was over, and she was certain that the rest of her classmates felt the same. Her last N.E.W.T. was in Herbology, so once she finished breakfast, she trudged upstairs to the second floor classroom where the test was scheduled to take place.

The room was nearly empty when Lily arrived, and she had her pick of the desks. She chose one in the front row simply because she did not feel like expending the extra effort to walk to the back. Sinking into the chair, she set her school bag on the floor beside it and began taking out her quills and inkpot. Hearing footsteps approaching, Lily looked up into the face of her former best friend. To her surprise, Snape's mouth actually lifted in a tiny smile as he passed her desk and took a seat at the one behind it.

Straightening, Lily arranged her supplies absentmindedly on her desk while she mused over Severus' uncharacteristic warmth towards her. For a person who rarely let his emotions show, even the tiniest of smiles was meaningful. And yet Lily had hardly seen, much less spoken to him since the incident months ago when he had stumbled upon her and James snogging in the corridor. The last words they exchanged had been harsh, so why was he glad to see her now?

When the exam proctor walked through the door and began distributing thick stacks of parchment, Lily shook her head slightly in attempt to clear thoughts of Severus from her mind. She picked up her quill and focused her attention on the task at hand. Two hours later, once she had handed in her exam, Lily's mood was lighter than it had been in weeks. There was a definite spring in her step as she strolled down the corridor in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. She was completely finished with exams, and, more importantly, felt confidently about her performance in all of them. James would be finishing his Arithmancy exam at any moment now, which meant they would have the rest of the day to themselves.

The thought of an entire afternoon and evening spent with James caused Lily to grin and pick up her pace. She had almost turned the corner when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. She paused and turned around to find Severus striding down the corridor towards her with a steely glint in his dark eyes.

He stopped just short of Lily, a smile ghosting across his thin lips.

"Lily," he said, nodding politely, albeit nervously, to her.

Lily, who had been watching him approach her somewhat warily, returned the nod and said stiffly, "Hullo, Severus." There was a pause, and then she added, "Did you need something?" Their last encounter, in which he had stumbled upon she and James kissing in the corridor, now rose vividly to her mind. Lily could not fathom why Severus would want to talk to so tarty a girl as he apparently thought her to be.

Severus wet his lips, gathered his courage, and asked, "Ah... how were your exams?"

"Difficult. But they're over with now." Lily shrugged. "Herbology was my last one. You?"

"They were exams. They don't call them _N.E.W.T.s_for nothing," he answered, smiling at his little joke.

To her surprise, Lily found herself smiling in return.

"That's true," she replied and lifted her eyes to meet his for the first time. Try as she might, she still could not discern his motive for engaging her in a light chat in the corridor.

"So...," Severus began, trying his best to ignore the jumbly feeling he always got when Lily looked at him with her brilliant eyes. "Did you get into St. Mungo's?"

At the mention of the hospital, Lily's expression brightened visibly.

"Ohhh yes!" she exclaimed, "Well.. I have their tentative acceptance, provided that I get all of my N.E.W.T.s."

"I'm sure you will," Severus said without hesitation.

"I hope so," she responded with a sheepish smile, then glanced curiously at him. "What about you? I... don't remember you ever mentioning what you wanted to do after Hogwarts."

"I think I'll travel," was the response.

"Really? That sounds marvelous. Where do you plan to go?" Lily inquired. She was becoming more relaxed by the minute, now that the conversation was progressing normally, if a little stiltedly.

Severus shrugged, "I'm not sure yet, but I imagine it would be nice to see a bit of the world. Of course-" he paused and gave a telling glance down at his exceedingly pale skin "-I'll probably be best off avoiding the tropics." He smiled as he spoke, very pleased with how personable he was managing to be.

Lily gave a little giggle as she agreed, "Probably a good idea. It _would_ be nice though." This last part was said with a wistful smile. As the Evans family had never been too wealthy, Lily's childhood vacations had mostly consisted of trips to Britain's various seaside towns. She had never been out of the country before.

"Are you taking a holiday before St. Mungo's?" Severus inquired. "I think you deserve one, after the work you've been putting in. You've been at the top of our year for ages."

Lily shrugged off the compliment with a little laugh, "Had to earn the badge, you know."

Severus ignored her comment and looked up at her with a genuine, earnest smile as he suggested, "You could come with me, you know." Even as he spoke, his heart was breaking. He knew the chances of her agreeing were slim-to-none. Not with the way things stood between them. Not with _Potter_ in the picture. But still he hoped. Lily had always been so forgiving in the past; perhaps it was not too late.

Lily had opened her mouth to explain her plans to go along with Marlene and her parents to visit Spain for a few weeks, but she promptly shut it again. There were several moments of complete silence as she tried to register what he had just said and, more importantly, understand why he had said it.

Realizing that some sort of response was necessary, she stuttered out, "Oh I - that's very.. I erm.. already have plans with Marlene."

"Of course," Severus replied. The smile left his eyes, and his face resumed its usual shuttered expression. "I just thought I would offer," he explained. "I ah... miss your company."

"Oh...," was all Lily could think to reply. She swallowed hard, torn between wanting to ask him why he'd treated her this way, if that was the case, and wanting to avoid a messy confrontation.

"Your answer is written on your face. You don't need to say it," Severus said with a defeated expression.

His comment goaded Lily into asking in exasperation, "What did you expect me to say, Severus?"

"I had hoped-" he began, pausing for a tiny moment, then plowed onward. "I had hoped you'd be sensible."

"Sensible?" she exclaimed, barely managing to keep from bursting into laughter. "Even if we were still friends, I can't just... go gallivanting across the continent with you for the summer. Do you realize how that would look?"

"I don't care," he answered, his mouth set in a stubborn line.

Lily sighed and asked, "What is this about, Severus?" Since he obviously could not have expected her to agree to his proposition, she figured he must have an ulterior motive for wishing to speak to her.

Severus blinked, but answered, "Lily, things are getting worse."

"I know that," she interjected.

Unperturbed, he continued to calmly explain, "I'm merely suggesting that you would do well to be around someone who can protect you."

Again, Lily suppressed a sudden urge to burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of what he was suggesting.

"Thank you for your concern, but I think I have that well in hand," she said dryly.

"You _think_," Severus responded, looking at her quite severely. "Now is not the time to be a headstrong little girl, Evans. _Potter_-" he spit out his rival's name with difficulty "-can't offer you what we can. What _I_ can." Then his tone softened, and he reached out to take Lily's hand in his as he pleaded, "Stop being selfless for one minute and think of yourself."

Lily backed quickly away from him as he reached for her hand and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So that's what this is all about then? You having another go at James?" she demanded, her eyes narrowed. "Do you know how ridiculous you sound? You're actually suggesting to me that I would be safer if I hung around with the very same people who want to kill me because I'm a Muggleborn?"

"No one wants to kill you, Evans. Don't be delusional," Severus snapped. "Has Potter been feeding you nonsense?"

Her eyes narrowed even further and her cheeks began to flush as her temper rose.

"_You're_ the delusional one, _Snape_," she retorted. "I know all about your little friends and what they plan to do as soon as we get out of the castle. Everyone does."

"You only know what Potter tells you," Severus argued, shaking his head, his black eyes carefully blank.

"You are _infuriating_!" Lily exclaimed, now positively seething with rage. "Is that what you think of me now? That I'm some foolish, lovesick little girl who listens to whatever my boyfriend tells me?"

Ignoring her question, he arched one eyebrow, "I bet you think he's noble, don't you? I bet you fawn over his bragging." Even as he spoke, he felt sick to his stomach: "He doesn't care about you, Lily. He's going to go out in a blaze of glory, and he's going to _leave_ _you_."

Her eyes flashed, and she took a step towards him, now absolutely irate.

"Yes he _does_, Severus. He _loves_ me, and I love _him_," she said through clenched teeth. "And you know what? I'm sick of this. All you ever want to do is rail at me about my boyfriend, and I don't want to hear it. Good_bye_." With an indignant toss of her head, she whirled around on one heel and strode off down the corridor.

"Lily! Wait," Severus called after her, suddenly contrite. He hadn't meant to anger her; he just wanted to make her understand.

But Lily ignored him and quickened her pace. Severus stood motionless in the middle of the corridor, watching her go in stony silence. It was not until Lily rounded the corner that her spell upon him was broken, and he swallowed hard to force the lump from his throat. With the utmost of determination, he forced his thoughts to calm and, when he was certain he could maintain his usual blank expression, turned sharply on his heels and marched down the corridor in the direction of his common room.

Meanwhile, Lily was having a much more difficult time controlling her emotions. By the time she made it to the portrait hole, she was so furious that she was ready to smack something. The_nerve_ of him! How could he think he had any say in how she lived her life, especially when he was so obviously biased? As she stormed up the girls' staircase and into her dormitory, she was so lost in thought that she did not notice it was already occupied until Marlene asked, "Woah, Lily. What's got you in such a tizzy?"

Startled, Lily nearly tripped over herself as she whirled around to face her best friend. She swallowed and managed to say, "I-... I spoke with Sev- with Snape."

Marlene's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. What had the slimy git done now?

"Oh?" she asked as she gestured for Lily to sit beside her. "And what was he up to this time?"

"He.. I think he wanted me to- to spend the summer with him," Lily answered.

"He _what_?" Marlene exclaimed in disbelief.

Lily nodded, "He said he was going to spend the summer traveling the continent and that I could go with him if I wanted. When I said no, he...-" she paused, her fingers clutching reflexively at the comforter, and then continued:

"He said- he actually suggested that I'm not safe with James. That I'd be safer with _him_. And when I told him he was being ridiculous, he got really angry and.. he starting having a go at James. Saying he doesn't love me, and he's going to leave me, and he's lying to me about the war."

At this point, Marlene rolled her eyes and muttered, "Of course he did." Before Lily could resume her rant, Marlene cut her off by asking, "Lil.. you know he was lying right? He's only saying that because he's-"

"I _know_," Lily interrupted, before Marlene could say something she wasn't certain she wanted to hear. "I know how James and I feel about each other, and I know none of what Severus said was true. It's just... I'm so _sick_ of it. Every time he sees me, he just sets right in. And if it were anyone else, I wouldn't care, but... we used to be _friends_. He knows I'm not some stupid girl who falls for the first charming man she meets. Why can't he just leave off?"

Marlene sighed and shook her head, glad to see that Lily had calmed down somewhat.

"I can't explain it either," she said. "But in a few weeks, we'll be out of here, and you'll likely never have to see him again. You and James can go off and get married and have lots of adorable babies together, and rotten ol' Snape can't do anything to change that."

Although she was still vexed, Lily couldn't help but smile a bit at this thought.

"We would make some seriously beautiful babies, wouldn't we?" she agreed.

"Uh huh. And you'll make me godmother to all of them," Marlene responded.

Lily bit her lip in thought and then asked in genuine curiosity, "D'you really think he wants that?" Thus far, she had James had not talked that extensively about the future of their relationship. Although she could easily picture the rest of their lives together, she wasn't entirely certain that he could do the same.

Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes, Lily Evans, you are quite unobservant. Don't you see the way he looks at you? Didn't he spend the better part of three years chasing you?" she said. "I don't think he plans to let you go annnytime soon."

The tiny smile on Lily's lips grew wider as she allowed herself a moment's blissful daydreaming.

"I guess," she responded. "We just haven't really talked about it yet. Anyway, I'm going to go see if James has made it back to the common room yet. I'm sure he's finished with his Arithmancy exam by now." As she spoke, she rose to her feet, adding, "Thanks for listening, Lena."

"What're friends for?" Marlene asked as she spread herself out on her bed. "You have fun 'talking' with James. I think I'll start catching up on all the sleep I've missed."

Lily responded by tossing a pillow at her best friend's head. As she passed Marlene's bed on her way to the door, the blonde girl sat up slightly and asked, "Are you going to tell James about your little run-in?"

Pausing with her hand on the doorknob, Lily looked back at Marlene.

"I don't think so," she said. "Nothing really happened, and it would only make him angry to hear about it." She felt a twinge of guilt as she spoke. Lily and James both prized honesty in their relationship, so she was unused to keeping things from him. But she was learning that neither James nor Severus was capable of remaining level-headed when the other was brought up in conversation. It was generally better, in Lily's opinion, to avoid the subject altogether.

"You're probably right," Marlene shrugged and laid back down. "I was just curious. See you at dinner?"

Lily nodded in response and slipped through the door, shutting it quietly behind her. When she descended into the common room a few moments later, she found it relatively empty. There was a group of fourth years engaged in a lazy game of Exploding Snap in the middle of the common room, and one of the fifth year Prefects was snoring away on a sofa near the fireplace. Over on the far side of the room by the windows, the Marauders were sitting in a tight circle, engaged in a hushed conversation.

Lily hesitated a moment at the foot of the stairs. Whatever they were discussing, it looked to be a secret. But, in the wake of her distressing confrontation with Snape, Lily's desire for the comfort of James' arms overruled any deference to the Marauders' privacy. She did approach the group with rather heavier footfalls than usual, to give them time to change the subject once they realized she was within earshot. When Remus, who was facing her direction, saw her approaching, he glanced meaningfully across the circle at James and muttered something to his friends. Immediately, the boys leaned backwards in their seats and shifted their topic of conversation.

James, however, looked around, and his face broke into a grin as Lily neared his armchair.

"H'lo, Lil," he said. "How was your Herbology N.E.W.T.?"

"It's over with," she answered, settling herself onto his lap and leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I take it you lot have finished too?"

James slid an arm around her waist and replied, "As of half an hour ago, we are free men."

"Hear, hear!" Sirius chimed in.

"And so, naturally, you're going to spend the rest of the day doing nothing," Lily said, a wry smile on her lips. "Unless I'm interrupting something..."

There was a brief pause as all four boys looked at each other. They silently came to some sort of agreement, and then James replied: "Nah. We're just talking Quidditch."

Though she was not convinced, Lily shrugged and said, "Excellent. Then would any of you fine gentlemen care to accompany me on a jaunt down to the lake? Or maybe a visit to Hagrid's?"

All four boys perked up at the suggestion of escaping the confines of the castle walls, but it was Sirius who answered first.

"Brilliant idea, Red," he said as he hopped to his feet. "Though we might want to make a stop by the kitchens first and get some proper food."

All five Gryffindors shared a little laugh as they trooped through the portrait hole. Out in the corridor, Lily reached for James' hand and tugged him to a halt so that the other three could pass them by.

He turned to her with a quizzical look and asked, "Hey, you okay?"

Hoping her expression was casual, she replied, "Just missed you this past week is all."

James smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"I missed you too," he said.

She stepped happily into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. After a quick glance down the corridor to make sure the others had turned the corner, Lily lifted her head and kissed him a bit more eagerly than usual.

If James was surprised at her sudden display of affection, he did not show it. Instead, he returned her kiss willingly, lifting one hand to thread his fingers through her silky curls. In response, Lily tightened her arms around him and pressed even closer as she strove to drive the memory of Severus' cruel comments out of her head.

After a few moments, James remember that there was somewhere they were supposed to be, and he broke their kiss, murmuring, "Hey girl?"

Lily pulled back slightly and looked up at him in confusion, "Yeah?"

"We can't ditch our friends," he explained and pressed a fond kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Oh... right," she said sheepishly and took a small step backwards. With a nod in the direction of the corridor's other end, she asked, "Shall we?"

James fell into step beside her and said with a grin, "Hey, but if you wanna go out for a snog later, I'm more than willing."

Lily smiled, "It's a date."

The pair arrived at the kitchens' portrait door just as Sirius was reaching out to tickle the pear.

"What kept you two?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh er...," Lily began, fumbling for an excuse, but James cut her off.

"We were having a quick shag," he informed Sirius, who was now looking at them with that telltale grin, "you know, getting off that last remaining exam-related tension."

"Oh hurry up, will you?" Peter interjected. "I'm half starved."

"If there's anything you aren't, Pete," Sirius began, but Remus reached mechanically to smack him upside the head before he could finish his thought. The painting of the bowl of fruit swung forward, and the lot of them were soon inside, filling their pockets with all sorts of treats before heading out of the castle and across the lawns. Just as Lily had hoped, a mere half hour's time spent laughing with James and the lads was sufficient remedy for the doubts that Snape had tried to cast upon her. By the time they returned to the castle late that evening, her argument with Snape was a nearly-forgotten memory.

With their N.E.W.T.s completed, only two weeks of classes stood between the seventh years and graduation. Since there were no further deadlines or obligations upon their shoulders, even the most studious among the Gryffindor group found it difficult to concentrate on anything school-related. Most of their class work consisted of reviews, final thoughts, and any other parting wisdom the teachers wished to impart to their students. After the hectic past couple of months, Lily, James and their friends were glad to spend the next two weeks relaxing in the early summer sunshine.

Of course they did have a few things to worry about. The arrival of the post on the second Monday after N.E.W.T.s caused quite a stir, as all the seventh years would be receiving their test results. Mary and Peter were the only two who opened their envelopes with some degree of trepidation, as they had had a bit of trouble with the Transfiguration exam. Both, however, discovered that they had achieved an "Acceptable," and were therefore able to celebrate their good results with the rest of the group. A few days after N.E.W.T. results arrived, all sorts of acceptance letters and job offers began rolling in. Mary received an offer to write for the Daily Prophet (and nearly fainted with joy when she read it). That same morning, two haughty eagle owls brought James and Sirius the news that they were now officially accepted into the Auror Academy. The next morning brought Lily's official acceptance letter from St. Mungo's Healer Training Program, and Peter learned that his application at Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley had also been accepted. It was a day of victory for many students, though more than a handful of seventh years could be seen at breakfast, reading rejection notices with slumped shoulders and teary eyes.

During their free period the next day, James and Lily were relaxing beneath the oak tree in the courtyard, enjoying both the warm sunshine and each other's company. James was reclining against the tree trunk with Lily settled comfortably in his lap and both of their book bags scattered on the grass beside them. Their idle conversation was brought to a halt when Lily spied Professor McGonagall marching towards them across the lawn. Flushing slightly, she slid off James' lap to sit on the grass beside him and looked expectantly up at McGonagall, "Good afternoon, Professor."

McGonagall returned the greeting with a stiff smile and a brief nod, then said crisply, "Potter, Evans, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office."

Lily's eyes widened slightly, and she and James exchanged a glance.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

The tiny smile returned to McGonagall's lips, and James could swear he saw a twinkle behind her glasses as she responded, "Ever the guilty conscience. Not to worry, Mr. Potter. You'll not be ending your Hogwarts career with another round of detentions. The Headmaster merely wishes to speak with you and Miss Evans about your duties in the graduation ceremony this Saturday."

"Oh," James said. "All right. We'll be right up. Thanks, Professor."

With a nod goodbye, McGonagall turned and strode back inside the castle while Lily and James rose to their feet and shouldered their school bags once more.

"What do you think we'll have to do?" Lily asked curiously as they began climbing the staircases to the Headmaster's Office.

James shrugged and answered, "Dunno. Give a speech or something, I suppose."

"And help set up the Great Hall. That was one of the things the Prefects helped with," Lily said. After a few moments, she turned her head to look up at James and asked, "Are you _really_ going to make it to the end of the week without another detention?"

Catching the hidden meaning behind her question, he grinned and responded, "Well, we aren't planning to get caught..."

"Aha! So you lads _are_ planning something," Lily exclaimed. Several times in the last few days, she had entered the Gryffindor Common Room to find all four boys engaged in a hushed conversation in one corner of the common room. Although she hadn't tried to eavesdrop, she had been almost certain they were planning one last prank, as she couldn't imagine that the Marauders could stand to leave Hogwarts with anything less than a spectacular send-off.

James hesitated a moment, unsure how much he should or could reveal of their plans. Although Lily had lately been turning a blind eye towards what little mischief he and his mates had time to make, he knew that Sirius, in particular, would not be pleased with him revealing their entire plan to her. He was relieved when she reached for his hand and assured him: "Don't worry. I don't expect you to tell me anything, and I'm not going to go and report you either. Honestly, at this point, I think it would be pointless to try and stop you."

"That it would," James agreed with a grin. "And you'll have a good laugh about it. I promise."

Lily was spared from having to comment on this by their arrival at the gargoyle statue guarding the entrance to the Dumbledore's office.

The Headmaster was busy writing at his desk, but he looked up with a warm smile as Lily and James entered.

"Good afternoon, James, Lily. Do take a seat," he said, gesturing towards the two plush armchairs standing on the other side of his desk. "I would like to begin our meeting by expressing to both of you how extremely proud I am of the job you have done this year. And I hear that congratulations are in order, as both of you are off to bigger and better institutes of magical education. The Auror Office, I am certain, will be well pleased with your skills, James, and Lily, if your talent with a cauldron is anything like what Horace tells me, St. Mungo's will rejoice to have you join their staff." Before Lily or James could say anything, Dumbledore held up his hand, "The praise is well-earned, I assure you. And now, shall we get our less-pleasant items of business over with?"

Approximately twenty-three minutes later, once both Head students had been briefed on the order of ceremonies and their various duties for Saturday's graduation ceremony, Dumbledore leaned slightly forward in his chair and spoke in a more serious tone: "Before I dismiss you to your next round of classes, there is an important matter that I wish to discuss. James, your opposition to the Dark Lord's quest for power is rather well known. Am I correct in concluding this factored into your decision to become an Auror?"

"Yes, sir," James nodded firmly.

"And Lily," Dumbledore continued, turning to look at her now. "I am assuming that your views are similar to James'?"

Lily nodded too, saying, "Absolutely. He must to be stopped. And soon."

"I am sure, however," continued Dumbledore, "that by reading the papers, you have both realized that the Ministry's efforts to stop Voldemort's rise to power are not going as well as we would wish." James laughed bitterly, but Dumbledore pressed on. "It might interest you to know that I have formed a secret organization, called the Order of the Phoenix, to combat Voldemort and his Death Eaters. While you are still my students, I cannot in good conscience ask you to join us, as the line of work we have adopted is exceedingly dangerous, but since you are both of age and will be graduating in three day's time..."

James leaned forward in his chair, his eyes bright as he crowed, "I knew it! I knew you had something going. When's the next meeting? I'll be there. And Sirius too."

Dumbledore could not help but smile at the younger man's enthusiasm.

"Ah yes," he said. "I believe I will extend the invitation to Misters Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew. I'm afraid the Order could use all the help we can get. We are sadly outnumbered. However I must impress upon you the necessity to keep this matter a most jealously guarded secret. It would be far too easy for information concerning the identities of Order members to fall into the wrong hands, to disastrous results. I am asking you to join because I believe in your abilities, your discretion, as well as your dedication to the cause."

"I'd like to join too, Professor," Lily said quietly. "I was hoping, once I finished training, to be sent out in the field with the Aurors as a Medi-Witch, but that will take two years at least. If I can do something now to help the cause, then... well I'd like the chance to."

"Much as it pains me to say it, if you join the Order, you will certainly have a chance to use your training," Dumbledore said gravely. "I do not need to remind either of you of the danger into which you are walking."

"No, sir," James said, his face set in determination. Glancing sideways, he saw Lily nodding her agreement, and, just for a moment, he considered trying to dissuade her from committing to so perilous a cause. While he had no qualms about joining the fight against the Dark Rising, James would be lying if he said he felt equally certain about Lily signing on. Still, he knew it would be useless to try and stop her, and so he remained silent.

There was a pause, and then Dumbledore said, "I am glad to have you join us, although it is no less than I expected from you two. Again I must impress upon you the danger into which you are venturing. Lord Voldemort's forces are greater than the Ministry chooses to acknowledge. The meeting you are invited to attend will be held at an as yet undisclosed location and will be for the purposes of informing you in better detail how we conduct our resistance."

James' heart thumped in his chest. He had a fleeting mental image of himself dodging curses and dueling with a half dozen masked figures, and it struck him that he was growing up very fast all of a sudden. Graduation in three days' time, then the Auror Academy, and fighting the Dark Rising... Doing homework and worrying about exams seemed very trivial when compared to fighting the strongest threat to the Wizarding World in his lifetime.

Dumbledore smiled. "Something on your mind, James?"

Lily glanced at the Head Boy, noting the flush of his cheeks and the faraway look in his eye.

"He's imagining fighting, I think," she observed, unable to keep the note of fondness from her voice.

James blinked, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry," he said. "It's just... I mean, we can beat him, can't we? If the Order is strong enough, right?"

"It is possible," said Dumbledore delicately. "However, Lord Voldemort did not become so powerful out of sheer luck, and he has not become the terror of the magical community based on happenstance. We will discuss this more at the meeting, but I want you both to know that joining the Order is a commitment that may stretch as long as it's members' lifetimes, and perhaps onward."

Lily nodded, her expression serious once more, "We understand, Professor." While she admired James' optimism about their ability to bring an end to the Dark Lord's quest for power, she found she could not quite share his enthusiasm. This war, she understood, was a necessary thing, but Lily found nothing exciting or glorious in it. She was more than willing to take up the task at hand, but Lily would have been lying if she denied that a small part of her wished that none of this were happening, that this crazed disease of prejudice could be eradicated without so much bloodshed and loss.

The Headmaster surveyed the twosome for a long moment. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. He smiled.

"Well, that's all we have to discuss for today. I'll be in contact with you concerning the Order meeting, and I look forward to your speeches at graduation."

James and Lily both got to their feet. Professor Dumbledore stood and extended his hand, shaking each of theirs in turn.

"You have each performed admirably in your duties. I thank you, James," he added, "for proving me right. It has been a pleasure working with both of you this year."

James looked uncharacteristically sheepish as he shook Dumbledore's hand and replied, "Thank you, sir."

Although she could only guess what the Headmaster meant, Lily glanced up at James with a proud little smile and reached out to give his hand a small squeeze. "Have a good evening, Headmaster," she said as they turned to leave.

"You as well, Miss Evans," Dumbledore replied and then turned his attention to the pile of parchments upon his desk.

Once she and James were out in the corridor, Lily glanced up at him and asked, "Do you think the others will want to join?"

"Of course they will," James said firmly, taking her hand as they walked through the corridor.

For what was perhaps the first time since his first week at Hogwarts, James stopped and stared up at the maze of staircases above them. He took in the rows and rows of portraits that adorned the walls, a slight frown on his lips.

"Do you think you'll miss it?" he asked, his brow beginning to furrow.

"Hogwarts?" Lily asked, following his gaze. "Oh, without a doubt." She wrapped her arms around James and hugged him close as best she could. It would be difficult, indeed to leave this place that had become her home. It was one of the only places she'd felt safe and accepted as a child, after her once-beloved sister had so harshly turned on her. Hogwarts was where everything had begun for her. It was the place where she'd had some of the greatest triumphs of her life, but also suffered the loss of a dear friend and endured the stress of life-determining exams. "But we have to remember that this isn't the end. I'm going to Mungo's, and you're off to the Academy in a few months. It's just the next step." She smiled, suddenly aware of the pricking at her eyes. "What makes it wonderful is knowing that you're here alongside me. With all that's going on, there's a lot to be frightened of. But somehow..." she pressed a kiss to his arm, "Somehow it doesn't seem so bad. Somehow, I feel that we can win."

James looked down into Lily's bright green eyes. They seemed to shine with a resolve he'd never seen before. Her whole being emanated a comfort to which he was not accustomed, but to which he felt himself clinging like a drowning man. Not knowing the words to say that would assuage any of her anxieties as thoroughly as his own had been eased, he bent his mouth to hers and kissed her.

A war was coming. Rather, it was lying in wait for them the moment they stepped out of the haven that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a short time, they would pack their things and head home before moving on. It was a heady thought to realize that something that could become one's world could just as easily turn into a rush of fleeting memory. Would any of them remember the smell of the Entrance Hall? Or the way it felt down in the dungeons on a particularly frosty Februrary morning? And gods, would he ever have another shepherd's pie as good as the ones made by the Hogwarts house-elves? The realizations continued to hound James as he moved through the last few days at school. He would never hear another Sorting song. He would never tromp across the grounds to a Quidditch match. At odd times, he felt himself very near tears; at others, he felt as if he was straining to get out.

On their last evening at Hogwarts, James and Lily took a leisurely stroll around the grounds and made a final visit to gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid's cabin. Their visit was marked by Hagrid's nostalgic recounting of the many detentions James and his friends had served with him during their schooling years.

"It jus' won' be the same withou' yeh," Hagrid said, taking a deep draft from his bucket-sized tankard of mead. "I'll admit to yeh that I didn' mind the comp'ny on some o' the jaunts I had ter take into the Forest. An' d'you remember tha' time Bane and his lot nearly killed yeh?" Hagrid's beetle-black eyes became suspiciously misty. "I don' think I've ever laughed s'much."

"Oh yes, lovely times," James said, grinning and setting down the plate of treacle fudge, "But we did manage to find your pants before daybreak, so no harm done."

Lily, who had yet to hear this particular story, nearly choked on her mouthful of mead. "You nearly got _killed_? And who is Bane?"

"'E's a centaur," Hagrid explained, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Didn't yeh know there's centaurs in the Forest, Lily? I'd have laid money on yeh knowing jus' about everything t'do with the school."

"Well I knew there were centaurs living in the Forest," she explained, glancing sideways at James. "I just didn't know my boyfriend made a habit of interacting with them."

James nudged her in the ribs. "'Course you did," he said playfully rolling his eyes. "And I didn't make a habit of it, per se. Just... had a handful of genial conversations and a casual scrap from time to time."

"Uh huh. And do all of your genial conversations end in near-death experiences?" she asked, skepticism written plainly across her face.

"See, now-" interrupted Hagrid, "I din' mean ter get you you in trouble with yer lady, James." He drained the rest of his tankard. "But jus' pass it on ter the rest of the lads, if yeh see 'em. Had a good chat wi' Remus and Sirius today, but I din' get a chance to see Peter." The gamekeeper was suddenly looking glum. "I tend ter get a bit sad when you lot leave. But-" he brightened "-seems there might be a chance I'll be seeing yeh soonish. Has Dumbledore...?" he trailed off meaningfully.

Lily, guessing the subject to which Hagrid was alluding, nodded her head vigorously: "Yes. He asked us when we met with him last week. So are you.. I take it you're a member too? Dumbledore didn't really say much about it."

"Yeah, but don't say anything ter anyone," Hagrid said seriously. "It's supposed ter be a secret. Probably shouldn' a told you lot, but I figure..."

"Yep," James said quickly. "And we'll explain everything and jaw about it all we want once we're in a meeting. But-" he checked his watch, "we'd better be off. I've got a last bit of business to take care of before everything in the morning."

"And I should probably finish packing my trunk," Lily added with a sigh.

Hagrid looked disappointed, but said, "Right well.. congratulations ter the both of yeh. And I'll be seeing the both of yeh soon at..." He wagged his head meaningfully as he stood to accompany James and Lily to the door.

Lily smiled warmly at him and responded, "Yes. We'll see you again soon." As she spoke, she rose on tiptoe and stretched her arms out to give the half-giant a rather awkward hug goodbye. With her petite stature, her arms barely encompassed half of Hagrid's waist.

"Oh, go on then," Hagrid said, reaching for James as well. He pulled the pair of them close to him so that the twosome clunked heads. Once James' head had stopped spinning, he and Lily headed back up the lawns to the castle. They parted ways at the foot of the staircases to the Gryffindor dormitories. While Lily climbed the stairs to the seventh year girls' room and immediately began packing her trunk, James was less enthusiastic about this task.

An hour later, he and the Marauders - with the exception of Remus - had barely begun packing. Sirius and James were both lounging on their beds, casually removing posters from their walls with their wands. Peter was sprawled on his stomach, munching a few Bertie Botts beans that he had found under his bed while looking for his long-lost Potions scales. Only Remus had made any significant headway in preparing for tomorrow's return home, and even he did not appear too enthusiastic for the task.

Sirius watched in amusement as Remus re-folded a jumper for the fifth time and then wadded it into a ball with a look of digust.

"Y'know, Moony, it wouldn't be the end of the world if a _few_ wrinkled ended up on your jumpers," he teased.

Remus glanced over at him in irritation, then huffed and chucked the crumpled jumper into his trunk.

Ignoring this exchange, James flicked his wand at the poster of the Caerphilly Catapults' star chaser that hung over his bed and watched as it fluttered gracefully onto the counterpane beside him.

"Everything set for tomorrow, Pete?" he asked.

Peter grinned, "They're all in the Shack."

"Good thing no one'll be using it. That'll reek for _weeks_," Sirius said, grimacing at the thought of all the pig refuse that must now be littering the floor of the Shrieking Shack.

"I rather think it does already," Remus added with a wry smile.

James nodded, "Well said, Moony. Though, to be fair, we took good care of it when we weren't taking the piss out of the place."

All four boys chuckled at this, and silence settled over the room as each one remembered the countless hours they had spent plotting inside the rickety old building. Sirius, who could never stand too much silence, was the first to break the lull in conversation.

"So, Prongs," he began, "the other day, Dumbledore had me, Moony an' Wormtail into his office.." He trailed off and paused in the process of taking down his Led Zepplin poster to watch James for his response.

"And?" James asked as he turned around. His expression was eager, as thought he'd been waiting for this subject to be brought up.

"And he said he'd just had a similar conversation with you and Red. About something called the Order of the Phoenix?" Sirius finished.

Remus gave him a sharp look, "Sirius, we'd do well not to talk about it by name!"

Sirius rolled his eyes and said, "Oh come off it. We're in our dormitory, for Merlin's sake. Who's going to overhear?"

"I think we're safe in here, Re-moose," James agreed, grinning, "That _Muffliato_ spell Peter cast in here in fourth year seems to have stuck for a good while."

Peter grinned proudly as Remus relented, "Well just... don't make a habit of it. Not everywhere is as safe as Hogwarts."

Nodding, James asked, "So, lads, what'll it be? Are you in?"

"Of course!" Peter exclaimed.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "D'you even have to ask? I'm assuming you and Red joined up too."

"Do _you_ even have to ask?" James responded.

"I think he was more asking if Lily had, not you," Remus clarified.

"Oh, yes," James answered. "Not my first choice, maybe. But I think it'll be for good. No secrets, this way."

"Not your first choice?," Peter asked in confusion.

Sirius, who could read his best mate like a poorly plotted children's book, explained before James could even open his mouth: "He doesn't want her fighting."

Remus sighed, "I hope you didn't actually _tell_ her that, Prongs." He could only imagine Lily's disastrous reaction to being told something like that.

But James merely laughed. After years of pursuing Lily and several months of dating her, he had come a long way in learning how not to put his foot in his mouth when talking to her.

"Are you mad? Of course not," he assured Remus.

Peter, however, was still stuck on James' previous declaration.

"Hang on... you said 'no secrets.' Does that mean you've told her.. about us?" he asked.

Sirius swiveled between Peter and James, keen to know the answer to the blond boy's question.

"Don't be stupid, Peter," James answered quickly, feeling the weight of Sirius' gaze. Truth be told, he had considered that he ought to, but he knew this would reveal secrets that weren't his to share.

Although he presumably had the worst secret to reveal, Remus looked the least perturbed. His expression was thoughtful as he asked, "Well... do you plan to?"

"Er... I dunno," James answered. "I mean, I think I'll have to eventually. I think the three of us-" here he paused to indicate Sirius, Peter and himself "-could bring a good advantage to the fight, seeing as we're Unregistered..."

"Great minds, Prongs," Sirius grinned, relieved. "But yeah, don't tell her. I mean, what if you guys break up? It's a liability."

Remus leaned over reflexively to smack Sirius upside the head but realized halfway through the gesture that he was too far away to reach him and ended up grabbing the bedpost for support. He managed not to topple over and snapped, "Way to be supportive, Padfoot."

Unperturbed, James laughed at the spectacle and said, "Man, I'm going to miss living with you lot."

Before Sirius could respond, the boys heard a knock at their door, followed by the sound of Lily's voice asking, "James? Can I come in?"

To James' surprise, it was Sirius who cheerfully called out, "C'mon in, Red."

There was a clicking sound as Lily tried the handle.

"Hullo? James?" Her voice sounded as if it was traveling through water.

Remus grinned.

"I suppose that _Muffliato_bit that Peter did really was thorough."

"I guess I'd better undo it," Peter said solemnly as he got to his feet and retrieved his wand, "as we're on our way out anyway." He pointed his wand at the door and muttered: "_Finite Incantatem!_"

With a whooshing sound followed by the click of the doorjamb, Lily entered the Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory 3C for the last time. She smiled as she looked around, surveying the room and the boys' progress- or, rather, lack thereof.

"I should have known you fellows wouldn't have made any headway," she said, giggling.

James was indignant.

"That's not true!" he exclaimed. "Remus packed!"

The sandy-haired boy pointed to his trunk, which had about a third of all its usual contents inside. "See?"

Lily looked at the trunk, and then back to James. "All right," she conceded, "I amend my statement. I should have known that _most_ of you would be lazing about." Her green eyes twinkled.

"Too right," James said as he flopped back onto his four-poster. "Come and sit with me," he said, motioning to Lily, who smiled as she obliged him and climbed onto his bed beside him.

"Have you asked them," she began in a whisper, "about…you know?"

James nodded. "Everyone's in. I expect Dumbledore will be sending us each an owl as soon as we're home for a meeting, or something."

Sirius abandoned his poster, as well as his general efforts toward getting packed.

"You'll not have any time to miss me properly, Red," he said with a wink.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Keep dreaming, Black." Her voice took on a more serious note. "I've just finished asking the girls about it, too. Marlene said she's in, but Mary's not."

Remus' eyebrows rose. "Really? That surprises me."

"Wait, _you_ asked them?" inquired Peter, looking confused. "Dumbledore told me that he was the one asking people. Are we supposed to be inviting others? I can't imagine that would help with the whole 'secrecy' thing…"

"No," Lily explained. "I just asked if they'd been asked." She turned back to Remus. "It surprises me, too, but…" she shrugged. "I think Mary's frightened. Maybe she'll come 'round and realize this whole bit is a fight worth having." A pause followed. "I wonder how many of our classmates have met with Dumbledore about it."

Remus smiled. "I expect we'll find out at the meeting," he offered as he made a mental tally of the students in their year. "Though, to be honest, I wouldn't hold your breath for too many."

"And you can bet every single Slytherin's planning to go and join up with You Know Who," said Sirius darkly.

Lily shifted in her seat, thinking of Severus and the conversation they'd had only days before. "Yes, well…" she said distractedly.

Remus sighed.

"Can we talk about something else?" Peter asked, looking concerned.

"Hear, hear," said James, sitting up. "It's our last night, lads. You know what that means?"

Remus grinned. "Don't tell me you actually remembered!"

Lily looked between them curiously. "What? James, you didn't tell me you had plans!"

"And the prank later tonight!" crowed Peter.

Sirius chucked his pillow at Peter. It hit him full in the face.

"Shut up, you prat! No one can know!"

"Ooh!" exclaimed Lily. "Going to tell me what you're planning, lads?"

Ignoring Lily, James laughed and dived under his bed, returning with a large bottle of Ogden's.

Sirius, who had crawled under his four-poster, emerged with a large bag of Honeydukes sweets. He dumped the lot onto his bed, which included several thick slabs of chocolate, as well as various other sweets.

"It's the last of my private stores, so eat up!" he said, laughing as Remus immediately reached for a bar of amaretto chocolate.

Lily grabbed James' arm, giving him her best puppy-dog expression and pouting. "Why not tell me? I won't say anything to anyone…" She batted her eyelashes, a smile at the corner of her lips.

"Nope," James said bluntly. "Sorry."

"Fine," she said. "Got anything less… blech than whiskey?"

James shook his head, a grin across his lips. "If you're going to hang with the lads, you've gotta drink like one, sweet," he said, kissing her swiftly on the cheek.

Remus fished a bar of chocolate out of the pile on Sirius' bed and tossed it to Lily. "Here," he said. "As a consolation prize."

James busied himself with pouring the first of what was sure to be several glasses. He handed them all around and then raised his. "A toast!" he proclaimed, beaming around at all of them.

Lily quickly bit off a bit of chocolate to mask the upcoming sharp flavor of Firewhisky.

"To mischief well managed," James grinned, suddenly feeling his throat tighten.

"To surviving the N.E.W.T.s" Peter beamed.

"To Moonlight, and to the best mates a bloke could ask for," Remus smiled.

"And to years of mayhem still to come!" added Sirius, holding his glass aloft.

The four of them looked to Lily, who raised hers and said earnestly; "To Hogwarts!"

-  
Fin.

Now Available in the "Those Who Thrice Defied Him" trilogy: _Don't Let Me Down._

Thank you all for the love and support.  
xoxox Amy & Lindsey


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